


Wingless and Warbound

by randiroo26



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Includes characters from Dragons: Race To The Edge, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Post-How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 83,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24138913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randiroo26/pseuds/randiroo26
Summary: Zephyr knew from her earliest years that she would be the one to take her father’s place as Chief.  Well, Chieftess.  Whether the people of New Berk were ready for a change like that or not.  Unfortunately, it seems that more people were not ready for that change than she had hoped.  But with a new threat slashing its way through the Archipelago, eyes set on New Berk and the secrets that flew away 2 years before Zephyr was born, she would have the chance to prove herself to her people soon enough.  Whether she was ready for a change like that or not.*All chapters containing violence, gore, or sensitive/triggering subjects contain a warning at the beginning to the best of my knowledge. Please feel free to reach out to me if something is not tagged that you feel should be!*
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Snotlout Jorgenson/Minden, Zephyr Haddock/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 107
Kudos: 43





	1. Setting Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many thanks to my awesome beta, user Permanent Guest, for all his help and support, and for putting up with my crazy butt. Hope y'all enjoy!

Zephyr took a deep breath of the salty sea air, standing on the edge of the cliff by the Skydocks and feeling the wind rustle her hair. It wasn’t the same as flying on dragonback, but it was the closest equivalent she could get. She heard her father sigh as he approached behind her, squeezing her shoulder with a gentle hand. “I hope you like the sea air, Little Warrior. That’s all we’re going to be breathing for a few days.”

Zephyr smiled. “I’m hardly a ‘little warrior’ anymore, Dad.”

“Ah, I know,” he sighed heavily. “But let your old man dream for a little longer before his firstborn comes of age.” He kissed her hair and smiled.

“You still have two years,” Zephyr jested.

Hiccup chuckled and playfully tugged on her single, long braid. “Perhaps, but I used to have 14 more. You have no idea how fast those years flew by for your mom and me.” He brushed a rogue strand of hair from her eyes and cupped her cheek in his hand. Zephyr could see his eyes glaze over for a moment, his mind drifting back to some time long ago she didn’t remember. Suddenly, he cleared his throat and scratched his nose. “Alright, go say goodbye to your siblings. We’ve almost got the ship ready.”

Zephyr rolled her eyes and chuckled, turning her back and retreating to where her brothers were entertaining their youngest sister with Nutmeg Ingerman. If he was struggling this much already, how was he going to act when she actually turned 14 next month?

“Don’t be too rough on Mom while I’m gone, okay?” Zephyr told her brothers as she lifted her sister Willow up into her arms. “She’s got enough to worry about as it is.”

“What do you mean? She’s only pregnant with a fifth baby, and 37 years old, and acting Chieftess, and her husband and oldest kid are going on a sea voyage,” Nuffink listed sarcastically, ticking each one off on his fingers. “What could go wrong?”

Zephyr rolled her eyes. “And those are exactly the types of things you  _ won’t _ say to her. Or around her. Or to anyone else.”

“Do Sephie have to go?” Willow asked quietly, playing with the end of Zephyr’s braid and avoiding her eyes.

Zephyr hugged her three-year-old sister close and rested her forehead against hers. “Just for a little bit, Willow. But Daddy and I will be back soon, okay?”

Willow didn’t answer; she kept her head and eyes down while Zephyr hugged Spero to her side.

“It’ll be okay. You still have Mommy, right?”

“Yeah... But I want sissy too.” Willow snuggled her head into Zephyr’s neck.

“Willow, it’s okay,” Spero said, playing with Willow’s foot. “Zephyr’s coming back. She’s just got to go visit some friends for a bit.”

“You two keep an eye on her, alright?” Zephyr told the boys. “You know she gets lonely.”

“Don’t worry, Zeph, I got it. I can do it,” Nuffink reassured her. “Just focus on the trip and learning from Dad.”

Zephyr smiled and released her hold on Spero to wrap Nuffink in a tight squeeze. “I know. Second hand man, right?”

“Always,” Nuffink smiled as he pulled away.

“And even if he doesn’t, I’ll be here to beat him back into shape,” Nutmeg said, stepping up next to Nuffink and elbowing him.

Zephyr chuckled. “Thanks, Meg.”

“Not changing your mind, are you, Zeph?” Hiccup asked. He lifted lanky little six-year-old Spero into a hug and the boy locked his arms and legs around his father, resting his head on Hiccup’s shoulder as they shared a tight hug.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Zephyr said, rolling her eyes.

Astrid had followed Hiccup over and smiled at her daughter. Nuffink took Willow and hugged her to his chest, allowing Astrid to properly hug her eldest. “Take care of him out there, okay?”

Zephyr locked her arms around her mother. “Always, Mom. Don’t work yourself too hard, please.”

Astrid rolled her eyes over Zephyr’s shoulder. “I don’t even know if I’m actually pregnant, Zeph. It’s just a precaution.”

“You’ve given me three siblings, I think you’d have a pretty good idea of what it feels like by now,” Zephyr teased.

Astrid playfully scoffed. “Alright, get out of here before I decide to ground you instead.” Kissing her daughter’s cheek, she released her and turned to her husband, who was now dancing with Willow in his arms to try to cheer her up.

Zephyr smiled at the scene as she hooked her arm through Nuffink’s, pulling him towards the docks with her and away from the rest of their family. She took a deep breath. “I know you know this, but I’m serious about watching over Mom. I’m really worried about her. She’s getting a little old to be giving us more siblings.”

Nuffink chuckled at Zephyr’s last comment before growing serious. “I know, Zeph, I got it. I’m worried too. Just let me handle it, okay?”

Reaching the docks, she turned to look at her brother. With her and her father gone, Nuffink was the next oldest in the family to take care of their mother. Not that she typically needed it, but he, Hiccup, and Zephyr were all concerned for Astrid’s health, especially as they remembered the difficulties she had with Nuffink and Willow’s pregnancies. But still only ten years old himself, Zephyr felt guilty putting that on him.

“I’m not a little kid, Zephyr, I can handle it,” Nuff reassured her, as if reading her mind.

Zephyr half smiled at him. Being the oldest children of the Chief seemed to have quite the maturing effect on them. Uncle Snotlout always teased them that she and her siblings never properly learned how to be real kids. “I know you can, I just...”

“Zephyr, stop,” Nuffink laughed, playfully punching her shoulder. “Tell Uncle Dagur I said hi, okay? If I can’t tell him about all the stuff I’ve learned from Tuff, then I need you to do it for me.”

“Thor Almighty, I can’t imagine having the three of you in a room together again,” she groaned.

“Hey, it was all Tuffnut’s idea.”

“That doesn’t make it any better!”

“You’re just mad because it was at your birthday celebration,” Nuffink smirked.

_ “No, _ I was  _ mad _ because you three created a large clearing across the island by  _ accidentally setting it on fire!” _

Nuffink shrugged. “I don’t see the problem, we put it out before it spread too far.”

Zephyr shook her head and started to turn away. “Maybe I should tell Dad that I’ll stay-”

“No, no, Zephyr,” Nuffink said, still laughing, and reached out to grab her wrist. “I’ll behave, I promise. I know how important this is to you.”

She sighed, pulling her brother into one last hug. “Please don’t burn down the village while we’re gone.”

“You have my word. No intentional fires.”

Zephyr grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back so he could see the scowl on her face.

Nuffink rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, no unintentional fires either.”

She crossed her arms.

He groaned. “Alright! I promise you, the village will still stand by the time you return!”

She raised her eyebrows.

He gave her an unamused look. “And every moment leading up to it.”

Narrowing her eyes, she conceded, “That’ll have to do.”

Their father appeared behind her, squeezing her shoulder and leaning over to mutter in her ear, “Now you know what growing up with the twins was like.” Zephyr shook her head and laughed as he bear-hugged Nuffink. “Don’t give your mom a hard time, alright?”

“For Thor’s sake, do I have to promise you too?!” Nuffink cried. “No fires, no explosions, no collapsing buildings, no destruction! You have my word!”

Zephyr smiled and ruffled his hair before prancing off to the boats, making Hiccup laugh as he followed her after kissing the top of his son’s head.

Standing in front of the gangplank, she looked up at the massive sails above her. She took a deep breath and nodded her head. It wasn’t as good as flying, but it would have to do.

“Everything’s all set,” Hiccup said. “Last chance to back down.”

Zephyr smiled. “Not a chance.”

* * *

Hiccup took a deep breath of the salty sea air, standing on the deck of the ship as they sailed off and letting the wind rustle his hair. It wasn’t the same as flying dragonback, but if he closed his eyes, sometimes he could still feel like he was gliding above the surface of the water on the back of his best friend again.

He looked up to find his daughter standing in the crow’s nest with Astrid’s father, Vidar Hofferson, enthusiastically looking out over the waves as he told her a story Hiccup couldn’t hear. He smiled and sighed to himself.

Eret followed his gaze. “She’s much more enthusiastic than I was on my first sailing expedition, I’ll give her that. Especially after three days of sailing and two nights sleeping on beaches.”

Hiccup shook his head, half listening. “Maybe I should have left her at home. To take care of Astrid, you know, and help with the village.”

“She’s got to learn sometime, Chief. She’ll have to learn all of it, unless your plans have changed.”

“Yeah, but is she too young?” Hiccup turned to Eret. “When I was her age, chiefing was the last thing I wanted to think about.”

“Oh, please,” Snotlout interjected, joining the two at the stern of the ship. “Zephyr is nothing like you, with all do respect, cuz.”

Hiccup sighed as Eret agreed with a laugh. “I’d have to agree with that, based on the stories I’ve heard.”

“Hiccup, look, I know we’ve had our differences,” Snotlout continued, playfully elbowing Hiccup, making the chief smile. “But you weren’t exactly the most...  _ Involved _ kid of our generation. Yeah, sure,  _ you _ were more worried about creating the next great dragon killing machine, but Zephyr... Zephyr’s different. She’s been ready to learn about chiefing since she could walk.”

Hiccup pursed his lips and looked back up to his daughter. “I just don’t want to push her too hard.”

Snotlout scoffed. “She’s got enough Astrid in her. Even if you were pushing her too hard, you’d know.”

“Fair,” Hiccup laughed. But then he shook his head again as his eyes fell back on Zephyr. “Gods, did she even ever let herself be a kid?”

Snotlout followed his gaze. “Did any of us have a choice?”

The three men fell silent, looking back on their individual pasts.

“I guess not,” Hiccup quietly agreed.

“She’s got it a lot better than any of us had it, though.”

“Aye, I can agree there,” Eret said.

“Thank the gods,” Hiccup muttered. “That was my goal all along, though. Building a better home than we ever had before. Or at least a safer one.”

Snotlout smiled. “You did good, Chief. It was rough for a while, but it was worth it.”

Hiccup nodded absentmindedly, eyes falling to the deck.

“You did Stoick proud.”

He turned his head now to see Snotlout smiling back at him with... Was that pride? “Thanks, Snot.”

Snotlout gave him a pat on the back and playful salute before walking down the length of the deck, checking in on the crew.

Eret sighed. “I’ll never understand that man.”

Hiccup chucked, still smiling after his cousin. “You get used to it.”

“If you say so, Chief.” Eret took in his surroundings for a moment before musing, “We should be approaching Old Berk soon. The sea stacks are getting a bit denser.”

Hiccup motioned forward. “Lead us in, Sail Master.”

“Yes, sir.” Eret took his place towards the bow of the ship, calling orders as he walked. “Alright, men, let’s listen close this time. I don’t want a repeat of last year’s near accident.”

A chorus of “yes sir!” rang out as the men scrambled to their places. It wasn’t a particularly large crew, but large enough to handle the sailing and cooking and other necessities for the trip.

“Vidar! Can I trust your eyes?” Eret called up the length of the mast.

“Aye, sir!”

When Hiccup looked back to his daughter, he found her watching wide-eyed over the edge of the crow’s nest. As her eyes swept the deck, they locked with her father’s. He was met with an enthusiastic smile and wave.

Hiccup chuckled to himself. “Come on down, Little Warrior!”

She nodded again, smile never faltering as she scurried down the ladder to rejoin her father.

“Are we almost there, Dad?” she asked as she bounded up to him.

“Just about.”

“Well what are we standing back here for?!” She grabbed Hiccup’s hand and dragged him along the deck, earning a round of side smiles and chuckles from the crew. Hiccup laughed at his daughter’s enthusiasm, happy that she was so excited to see where her tribe had come from for the first time.

“Slow down, sweetie, we’re still a ways out,” Hiccup laughed.

“That’s okay!” Zephyr climbed the front of the boat so she could clearly see the water ahead. “I don’t want to miss a thing.”

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head as he turned back to discuss the route with Eret.

Zephyr must have realized shortly after that she was a bit preemptive with her enthusiasm as she steadily climbed back down to the deck, leaned against the side of the boat, and eventually entertained herself by following the whorls in the wood with her finger.

But then Hiccup saw the statues emerging from the distance.

He waited until they were large enough for someone to see them clearly if they didn’t know what they were looking for. And then with a smile and a throat thick with emotion, as it always was on this yearly voyage, he wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Zephyr, look,” he said, pointing out across the water as the harbor statues grew. “This... This is Berk.”


	2. Threat on the Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many thanks to my awesome beta for helping me round out this chapter! And thank you to everyone who left feedback on the last chapter as well, I always love hearing from you guys :) not much more to say about this one so enjoy!

**_Four Months Earlier_ **

Argo breathed into his cupped hands and rubbed them together violently. Sitting under a broken shelter in the Northern Markets wasn’t exactly how he planned to spend his winter, but he knew it wasn’t worth trying to sneak back into his village. They made it very clear their decision of banishment would not be reconsidered. Whatever; it wasn’t his fault repeatedly stealing from people rubbed them the wrong way.

But  _ blast it _ , it was cold. He wished someone would be willing to hire him so he could at least afford a half decent shelter.

Then again, anyone working the Northern Markets nowadays wasn’t much better than himself in terms of, well, “illegal activity.” Probably wouldn’t be an ideal arrangement, anyway.

He looked up to watch for an opportune moment as the crowds passed by, slinking into the shadows to avoid being noticed. The Markets were unusually busy this morning, and he knew he had to take the chance while it presented itself. He saw a particularly large crowd approaching his direction as the stalls around him began to open.

He timed his approach carefully, giving the crowd time to settle and mix within itself and eliminate any one-directional flow of movement. He slipped into the thick of the crowd, struggling to make his way from one end of the strip to the other as he pushed through the mass of bodies, though admittedly inviting the warmth.

He finally pushed out the other side, holding two new money bags in his hands.

He sighed as he made his way to the tavern. Well, this was much easier than being hired by one of those crooks.

The warmth of fire washed over his skin the moment he walked through the door. He wasted no time approaching the keep of the hall to pay for some ale and bread with his newly-acquired income. He found an empty seat at the end of a long table by the fire, letting the flames warm him from the outside while the ale worked to warm from the inside.

However, much to Argo’s annoyance, a large, burly man sat with a bewildered huff nearby, clutching his own wood tankard of ale like it was a lifeline. Argo glanced around the hall, finding it empty save the presence of the keep, Argo, and this new man.

Asshole.

Argo turned back to his ale, not at all trying to hide the single humorless chuckle that he pushed from his chest. He took a deep breath and hunkered back down, trying to shut out the sound of the man’s voice as he mumbled to himself.

Unfortunately, his words pushed through to Argo’s ears anyway.

“Simply incredible...” the man muttered, staring through the table. “Incredible... Nothin’ like I’d ever seen before...”

Argo looked up from his own tankard, allowing himself to focus more attention on the man. His knuckles were white as he clutched the tankard with both hands, eyes wide and absent, voice breathless. He was suddenly concerned for him. “Oi, everythin’ alright over there?”

“Like armor, but...  _ Everywhere,” _ he muttered, seemingly unaware of Argo. “And the  _ fire _ ...”

Argo stood and approached the man carefully, slowly reaching out an arm to grasp his shoulder. “Sir?”

The man returned to the room at Argo’s touch, his eyes finally falling on Argo. They were wild and wide, frazzled as his hair was tousled. His beard was unkempt, his clothes torn in various places, his face scratched and bruised. The wounds reached down into his clothing, and Argo silently wondered how deep under the torn cloth they extended.

“Sir, d’ya need some help?” Argo asked.

The man blinked a few times before looking around the room. “I...” he began, scanning the empty room before his eyes fell back to Argo. “Where am I?” His voice was deep and raspy.

“Northern Markets,” Argo explained, carefully eyeing the man. “Meade hall.”

The man’s eyebrows stitched together and he looked down. “Ah. Meade. That what this is?” He asked as his eyes stayed on the liquid in the tankard.

“Aye, I’d imagine. Maybe ale.”

The man nodded absently and took a careful drink. His eyes slid across the room until they landed back on Argo. “Do I know you?”

“Doubt it. Name’s Argo. What happened to ye?” he cautiously asked. “Heard ye mutterin’ somethin’ about armor and fire.”

“I did?” the man pondered, staring through the table again. “Sorry, I, eh... My crew... We ran into some trouble on the way over here.” He hugged his tankard to his chest and leaned onto the table. “There were these animals... They soared through the sky like birds... Their flesh shimmered like armor... And there was fire, so much fire, and it erupted from the bellies of the beasts! White, hot blasts that seared through the air and lit anything it touched...”

Argo sat slowly across from the man, thinking hard and taking a draw of his drink. “Aye, I’ve heard o’ a beast like that. The name, what was the name...”

“Wait, you believe me?” the man said, looking directly at Argo in shock.

“About dragons? Aye, of course. Anyone ‘round here would. They’ve not been missin’ that long.” Argo scratched his beard. “Roaring... Raton... Rayon... Ah! Razorwhips! Sounds like yer crew ran into a pack o’ Razorwhips.”

“Razorwhips...” The man repeated slowly as he stared off into space. “Wait, you said they - the dragons - haven’t been missing for long... What do you mean by that?”

Argo shrugged. “They used t’be everywhere ‘round here. Used to terrorize villages and steal food, set everything on fire in the process. ‘Specially that Berk tribe. Then the chief’s son found a way to train ‘em. Rode ‘em everywhere for years, used them to protect the village. Quite an amazin’ sight if ye ask me.”

“Indeed...” he nodded as he listened to Argo, but his eyes were focused somewhere far beyond the walls of the tavern. “Berk, you say?”

“Ayep, but no use goin’ lookin’ for ‘em now.”

“Why?” he quickly asked. He seemed to compose himself after a moment. “Are they dangerous?”

“Dangerous? Please. That new chief o’ their’s preaches peace. No, they abandoned the island years ago, no one knows where they went. ‘Cept those Berserkers, far as I can tell.” Argo though for a moment. “Well, maybe not. But occasionally the Berserker chief acts as a... Representative of sorts.” He shrugged. “They’re out there somewhere, just nobody cares ‘nough to find out where. But when they left, the dragons did too. Eventually disappeared all together.”

The man pondered for a moment, but eventually brought his attention back to Argo and looked him up and down. “And what about the dragons? Did they have a lot?”

“I saw a good mix with ‘em. Some Monstrous Nightmares, mostly Deadly Naddars and Gronckles, a Razorwhip once,” he remembered, pointing at the man. “Ah, let’s see... Well, that whole annoyance of Terrible Terrors that just came out o’ nowhere.” Argo nodded in thought. “I’m sure they had more, but those seemed t’be the ones they chose t’ride. Supposedly the dragons on the island outnumbered the Vikings 5 to 1. And there’s the new Chief’s legendary Night Fury of course,” he concluded with a slight air of sarcasm.

“Legendary?”

“It’s the only one o’ its kind left,” Argo clarified with a bored shrug. “Looks more like a giant puppy dog than a dragon. Though it can do some mighty damage when angered.”

The man nodded slowly. “You seem to know quite a bit about these beasts. My crew... We’re new around here. Would you mind telling me about some more history? About these... Dragons?”

Argo laughed humorlessly. “I name the beasts and ye think me an expert?” He shook his head and looked into his drink with a sigh. “People ‘round here, dragons are common knowledge to ‘em. They’re more likely to question ye sailin’ in the winter than confrontin’ dragons. Razorwhips specifically we hear ‘bout a lot ‘round the Markets, though. We thinks they have a nest nearby from the attacks we hear ‘bout. Violent and frequent. Sounds like that must’ve happened to yer crew, too.”

The man nodded absentmindedly, seeming to be lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke carefully, “Do you know how to defend against these beasts, Sir Argo?”

Argo scoffed. “No need for ‘sir’ nonsense. I don’ think I’m the man ye need.” He started to stand with his mug, draining it in one long pull and planning to return to his stall.

The man reached out and grabbed Argo’s wrist with surprising strength, causing Argo to turn. There was a strange look in his eyes, almost... Desperation? Determination? “Please, sir,” the man said. “We don’t need an expert, just a... A man with enough familiarity to help us figure out the rest.”

“Then I’ll give ye some advice - Don’ go back the way ye came.”

“What if we run into more dragons?”

“Shouldn’ be a problem. That nest o’ Razorwhips seems like the only nest left at all.”

The man’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he regained his composure. “What’s holding you back, young man? Do you have a family here? I can offer them a home as well. I’ll give you a position of rank, you’ll be able to provide for them well. I’m unfamiliar with these territories down here, and your advice would be greatly appreciated.”

Argo was going to pull away again, but he hesitated. A position of rank? That would be nice. Security, warm housing and food and all. But did he want to be at the mercy of another man to get it? His set up here wasn’t  _ awful _ , after all. Sure, it was tight at times, but...

“You have my word, they would be safe. Respected, even.”

Argo shook his head. “I have no family.”

“Then what’s holding you here?”

Well, nothing, but Argo wasn’t going to admit that.

_ “You _ could be respected, still. Family or no, your knowledge would be seen as invaluable among my men. We are foreigners to this place; you know more than any of us could hope to know.”

Argo sighed. What could go wrong? He wasn’t living much of a life here, anyway. Even if things did go south with this mysterious man, at least it’d be interesting. Put him out of his misery, even.

But then a thought occurred to him.

“Foreigners? Why are you here then?” he asked carefully.

The man sighed heavily, dropping his arm and leaning over the table and his tankard. “My people... We were a small village, surviving well enough on our own and happy that way. We didn’t need the help of anyone else. But then...” He closed his eyes. “Crops started dying, famine and sickness spread, and a massive fire swept across the village. I took it as a sign from the gods that we had to move on. So I gathered what was left of my people onto a ship and set off.” The man scoffed bitterly. “It wasn’t a well thought plan. We had no knowledge of the land or sea around us. We drifted for a long time before we found even a speck of land. And then those... Those ‘Razorwhips,’ as you called them... My people barely scraped by. We lost so many more... This is the first settlement we happened across that was peaceful enough for us to dock and resupply.”

Argo suppressed a laugh. Anyone who described the Northern Markets as “peaceful” was sorely mistaken. But maybe that just showed how much this tribe had gone through.

The man looked up to Argo with pained eyes. “I don’t know why the gods have cursed me so, but it is not my people’s fault. I’m just trying to find them peace.”

Argo contemplated for a moment. But eventually he sighed and sat across from the man. “What’s yer name, sir? And what d’ye need from me?”

Was there a chance this was all a lie and this man had other intentions? Of course. Could it be any worse than how Argo was living his sad little life now?

Well, Argo didn’t see any way that it could.

The man smiled sadly and reached out his hand. “Just advise my people and me of the people and places of this area. Maybe help us find a more permanent settlement.”

How bad could it really be?

Argo took his hand and shook it. “I accept, Sir...?”

“Boyra. The name’s Boyra.”

Argo nodded. “I accept, Sir Boyra. Or should I call ye Chief?”

Boyra smiled. “Chief, yes, that sounds fine. Let me finish my drink, yes? We can talk specifics on the walk back.”


	3. Legacies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the present with Zephyr and Hiccup this week! As always so many thanks to permanentGuest for helping me polish up this chapter! And thank you everyone who left comments, I love hearing what y'all think.  
> ALSO, I can’t believe I forgot this on the very first post, but huge thanks to Tumblr user redkiteslike for helping with a bit of world building. A lot of her posts helped so much with trying to figure out distances and travel times between islands especially.

“This... This is Berk.”

Zephyr slowly lifted herself from where she was leaning against the side of the boat, seeing the harbor statues her father had told her about as they closed the distance to them.

“This is where I was born. Where I grew up. Where your grandfather, and every chief before him, lived for seven generations. It may look beaten and disheveled now, but in its prime... Berk was as strong as any settlement across the Archipelago.”

The statues loomed over the ship as they sailed closer, their flames long extinguished, watching over what remained of Old Berk.

“The towers used to reach high into the sky, and dragons covered just about every inch of the island. There were feeding stations, baths, houses stacked one above the other, moving perches, the works! A true Viking-dragon utopia, despite what your Grandpapi Gobber would say.”

Hiccup sighed. “But before then... Before the dragons, before Toothless... Berk was the humble home that raised your mother and I. It was a place that feared for their lives day in and day out, always prepared to defend against a dragon attack. Always reaching out to help those who suffered losses during raids. And it was that sense of community that made Berk what it was. It was more than just the place I was born. It was the place my mother was snatched away from my father and I. Where my father did his best to raise me by himself and still fulfill his duties to the tribe. Where I met your mother, pined for her for... Well, much longer than I’d like to admit.”

Zephyr giggled and realized she had turned to her father at some point, lost in his expression - both facial and bodily - as he reminisced on his past. He smiled down at her and continued.

“I know you’ve heard stories of what I was like as a child. How I was by the time I was your age. Constantly making new contraptions, trying to prove myself as a real Viking just like everyone else.” He looked up, scanning the island for something, and then pointed to a cliff not far from them. “See that cliff right there? That’s where I took the bola launcher. That spot right there is where I shot Toothless out of the sky, in the middle of a raid in the dead of night. I had nothing to go by but the stars his shadow blocked out as he flew by. And then he went down over there,” Hiccup turned to point to a place further up on the island, “around a place we called Raven’s Point. I couldn’t convince the tribe I had actually done it. Which was fair, if I’m being honest. I overestimated my abilities plenty of times before that,” he added with a side glance to her, making her chuckle. “So I went out on my own to find him. And thank the gods I did, because if anyone else had gone with me, Toothless likely wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

They looked back to the harbor as the ship turned towards it to see three other ships already docked.

Hiccup smiled. “Well, looks like we’ll have to wait on the rest of that story.”

Zephyr laughed. “Sure, like I haven’t heard it a thousand times before.”

“Oh-ho, so you don’t want me to tell it to you again while we stand in the infamous cove?” Hiccup teased, crossing his arms over his chest.

Zephyr’s eyes went wide. “Wait, really?”

“Why not?” He turned to help Eret guide the ship to the docks. “We’re here, I could find some time to take you.”

Zephyr found it quite rude of her father to tease her with such an experience only to take care of business instead, but she understood the need. She decided she wouldn’t push the subject again until she knew he had time. Hopefully that would be today, however. She turned back around to get a better look at docks, and then look further on to the first sight she’d ever had of Old Berk.

And immediately, she gasped.

It was _black_. Not many buildings were still standing, but those that were had been charred beyond recognition. Everything looked so... So weak, so unstable. Her father had told her that the village was destroyed, but this... This was beyond destruction. This was _annihilation_.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Zeph? You okay?”

She was immediately aware her breath had quickened. “Dad... I... I mean... You said there was a fire, but... But this...”

He squeezed her shoulder gently. “Why don’t we dock, huh? There’s some people I want you to meet, and then we can... Well, then I have another story for you.”

Zephyr nodded absentmindedly, but she couldn’t take her eyes from the wreckage before her while the crew docked the ship. She couldn’t snap herself out of it until the banging of the gangplank did it for her.

“Impeccable timing, brother!” Dagur the Deranged said, climbing onto the ship without waiting for the Berkians to disembark with arms open wide. “A little late still, though, aren’t we?”

“Easy for you to say, _brother_ ,” Hiccup jested, embracing the man without hesitation. “You’ve only got a day’s sail.”

“What? Twenty years of practice still not enough?”

“No, but a _three_ day sail does leave more room for delays.” Hiccup laughed. He released the man and turned to Zephyr. “Zeph, sweetie, you remember-”

“Hi, Uncle Dagur,” she interrupted with a smile. “Nuffink said ‘hi’ as well.”

Dagur laughed and pulled her into a bearhug. “Zephyr! What a surprise!” After all the stories her parents and the other riders told her, it still surprised her how affectionate the man was. “How is Nuffnut doing? Still working on his talents, I hope? Man, that kid has potential.”

Zephyr rolled her eyes playfully. “Don’t remind me. He’s fine. Holding down the fort back home for Dad and me.”

“That’s a disaster waiting to happen,” he said, pulling back so Zephyr could see his devious smile. “I love it.” He looked around for a moment as if realizing something for the first time. “Where’s Astrid?”

“All part of the update,” Hiccup said with a smile. He turned to Zephyr again, and she caught a flash of something in his eyes she couldn’t quite place. He suddenly sobered. “Uh... But first... I believe I have some things to show my daughter.”

Dagur’s smile softened. “Understandable. Go on ahead, Chief, I’ll help them unload.”

“Thanks, Dagur.” He turned to find Eret and Snotlout. “Hey, Lout! Can you lead the Great Hall setup?”

Snotlout saluted from across the ship. “Yes, Chief!”

* * *

Zephyr was so distracted by the state of the abandoned village that she didn’t notice Hiccup was leading her _out_ of the village until they were already surrounded by trees. She was just about to question him when he answered her anyway.

“I want you to see the cove first.”

Zephyr nodded. She knew her father well enough to know not to question him; he had his reasons, and he was typically right. And since he had changed his mind suddenly, she figured he would explain when the time was right.

But stepping out of the ashes and into the lush vegetation was a stark difference. Personally, she would still prefer the forests of New Berk (perhaps that was the familiarity calling her) but this island had its own beauty as well. This forest was more still, almost silent compared to the rushing waterfalls that flowed through nearly every crevice of New Berk. She was sure she would typically relish in the silence. But knowing what little she did of the history of this island, it left her feeling unsettled, haunted, even. As if the island died alongside the way of life it once knew and only existed to those that knew it.

Once she surfaced from the trance of the forest, Zephyr took in her father’s posture. He stepped through the trees with a confidence that confirmed just how many times he had made the trek. But the nervous twitching of his hands and the stiff movement of his shoulders that further accentuated his limp gave away his apprehension. She was sure being on this island, in this forest, dredged up memories he didn’t often revisit. Zephyr wasn’t aware of what those memories were, or why they affected her father like this. But she had a creeping feeling she would soon find out.

She noticed her father hesitate for a step and take a deep breath. She slowed behind him, giving him the space he needed. It took him quite some time to find his voice.

“So, how much have I told you about how I first met Toothless, when I first found him?”

“Well...” Zephyr quietly pondered as she pieced together the stories she’d been told throughout her childhood, separating her father’s stories from the other Riders’. “There was what you just told me on the boat. And then... You found him after searching for a while, and cut him loose once you did find him because you felt bad. You found him later in the cove.”

Hiccup nodded silently as he continued to walk through the trees. Zephyr quietly waited as he found the right words.

“It did take me a bit to find him,” Hiccup began, “but I didn’t cut him loose right away.” Now that she was walking in step with him, Zephyr could see a hint of pain in his eyes. “I was going to finish him off, cut out his heart to take it back to the village as proof. I had the dagger raised above my head and everything, ready to strike. But then...” Hiccup paused as he looked up, and a sad smile spread across his face. “We’re here.”

Zephyr turned to look ahead, finding a break in the trees. The land opened to reveal the infamous cove she’d been told about for years and years, yet only ever saw in her dreams. And, gods, her dreams did not do it justice. The sparkling pond, the light cutting through the trees, the sudden drop in the rocks, the bright green grass... “Woah...”

Hiccup chuckled. “Yeah, I agree. Watch your step, alright?”

Hiccup took the lead and carefully showed her the best way down the rocks. Zephyr matched his every step confidently, keeping an eye on his prosthetic in case he mistepped. Once they both reached the grass below, Zephyr could see her father take a deep breath; but this time he seemed to be enjoying the fresh air, breathing in happier memories of his teenage years.

Zephyr spun around slowly and took in the cove in a new light. She recalled the stories she had heard and tried to place them. How her father described the first time he flew on Toothless’ back unsuccessfully, crashing into the water that now danced before her. The large walls of boulders surrounding them that had trapped Toothless here in the first place, allowing her father to bond with him the way he did. She even managed to pick out the rock that her mother must have sat on as she threatened her father to tell her his secrets. Zephyr let out an excited laugh as she wandered around the cove in awe. She turned back to Hiccup, who was watching her carefully with a shy yet proud smile.

“It’s not much,” he sheepishly admitted.

Zephyr shook her head, her smile beaming brighter. “It’s more amazing than I imagined.”

He shook his head, but his smile didn’t falter. “It’s a pretty typical cove.”

Zephyr laughed. “No, it’s not. Think about it, Dad! This is where it all started! If Toothless hadn’t accidentally glided down here, you wouldn’t have had the chance to bond with him. This cove is _literally_ where it all started.” She slowly spun around again, looking at the beauty surrounding her. “This is a living piece of Archipelago history. It’s... It’s amazing!”

When she turned around again, her smile still stretching her face to its limits, she saw the shy, proud smile had returned to her father’s face. He shook his head and chuckled. “I figured you’d like to see it.”

She laughed again, but quickly sobered as the earlier conversation found its way back to the front of her mind. “Dad? What happened then?” she softly prompted.

He leaned against her mother’s boulder, confusion evident in his eyes. “When?”

“You had the dagger raised above your head, ready to strike...”

Hiccup’s smile held a hint of sadness again. “Zeph, you’ve heard that story a million times,” he chuckled.

“Not _here,_ in the actual cove, on the actual island it all happened on,” she teased, closing the distance between them and jumping on top of the boulder behind him. “I want to hear it again,” she begged, more serious now.

He playfully rolled his eyes, turning around to lean on his arms over the boulder next to her. “Alright, fine.” He locked his eyes on hers. Any teasing immediately disappeared, his smile gone, and his voice was low and dripping with emotion. And Zephyr was immediately entranced. “I made the mistake of opening my eyes. And I found his staring straight back at mine. He looked at me, and I saw myself. A scared youth fighting for his place in life. And suddenly... I couldn’t do it. No, I _wouldn’t_ do it. Three hundred years, and I was the first Viking that _wouldn’t_ kill a dragon.”

A shiver shot down Zephyr’s spine. She smiled, remembering her mother’s words. “First to ride one, though.”

Hiccup nodded with an impish smile.

“And then what did you do?” Zephyr said, leaning closer.

“Well, I thought about doing something stupid,” Hiccup played along, shrugging playfully.

Zephyr giggled. “Yeah, but you had already done that.”

“Exactly,” Hiccup leaned in closer. “So instead, I did something _crazy.”_

Zephyr broke character and leaned back laughing. “And Mom said you never _stopped_ doing crazy things from then on!”

Hiccup laughed as well. “Your mother always had strong opinions.”

_“Had?”_

“Still has,” he corrected. “Do you think you’ll ever get tired of that story?”

“Nope.” Zephyr hopped down with a flippant smile. “I have to remember every little detail. So I can tell my kids about it one day.” Her smile softened a bit. “So that every Haddock knows.”

Hiccup smiled sadly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Well then I guess I’ll just have to keep telling it whenever you ask.” He kissed her hair and took a deep breath. “Come on, there’s something else I want to show you before the meeting starts.”

Zephyr took one last longing look back to the cove.

Hiccup chuckled. “We’ll come back before we leave, Little Warrior. But... This is important for you to see.”

The urgency in her father’s tone startled her. “Deal,” she said softly, following him out of the cove and back towards the village.

* * *

Zephyr gasped instantly. She wasn’t sure what she expected when Hiccup showed her his former home, but she expected to see _something_. Instead, she was met with... Nothing.

Supposedly, they were standing in front of what was once the front door of the hut. Nothing but a pile of ash, charred wood remnants, and mangled metal sat in front of her. And outside of that, nothing was even remotely recognizable.

“I know,” Hiccup softly agreed. His eyes scanned the space in front of them as well, but his eyes held sadness from the memories instead of the shock that Zephyr’s had.

He took a deep breath as if to prepare himself. Zephyr let him take his time. Partially because she couldn’t imagine what it was like to step back into a history this scarred and destructive. But part of her also wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say.

“Grimmel the Grisly,” he began, voice pained and barely audible. “He was a hunter. A hunter specifically of Night Furies. He had killed every single one, sent them into extinction. Except Toothless.” He paused for a moment, but Zephyr couldn’t bring herself to look at his expression. “And, naturally, once he found out about him, he was determined to regain his title.

“The night before we left, I was studying Dad’s journals, looking for any kind of clue about the location of the Hidden World. Grimmel had snuck into my home. He helped himself to my meade. Shot Toothless with a stun dart. Sat himself down in my father’s chair. Mocked my name. Disparaged my father and threatened my dragon.”

His voice was low, but the sad undertones had turned almost vengeful. Something told Zephyr her father was no longer telling a story, but reliving a nightmare. But that was okay. Because she could almost see what he was remembering. And it made it all the more unsettling as she stepped forward, slowly pacing through the remains.

“We were ready for him, of course. Astrid and Mom were standing by. Gobber was just outside the door. The ‘Toothless’ he shot was actually Fishlegs disguised and under a blanket.” He paused again, and Zephyr could imagine he was shaking his head behind her. His voice continued to harden the further he dove into the memory. “I was foolish. I threatened him right back. Assured him we’d defeated far worse than him, and we would do it again. And then he called on his dragons. They came through the ceiling.” He was practically spitting his words by now. “Astrid was almost crushed right there, and one of the dragons almost got her while she was coming back to her senses. She and Gobber barely got out with Fishlegs over his shoulder before one of the dragons blocked off the door. Grimmel threatened us again to have Toothless ready when he returned before leaving with his dragons as the hut burned around us. And we ran out to find the whole village on fire.”

Zephyr was standing in what she guessed would’ve been the middle of the main room. She tried to imagine what the place had looked like before, but she couldn’t even find her grandfather’s chair among the wreckage.

Hiccup sighed, now sounding utterly defeated, as if recalling the memory drained any bit of energy he held in his body. “We gathered everyone in the Great Hall right away, and I proposed my plan to find the Hidden World and move there. We left the next morning.”

Zephyr struggled to bring herself back to reality as the words her father said sank in. Unable to process the devastation, she instead looked for the familiarity in the situation. Chiefing. “They... They all just went along with the plan? Just like that?”

Hiccup laughed humorlessly. “Oh no, they fought back. But your mother stood with me, as did the rest of council. And, well, they couldn’t exactly tell me no if I ordered them to go. I am the Chief after all.” She heard him quietly chuckle, but any hint of humor was missing. “No, but we convinced them to give it a shot before we left. Though that may have just been the knowledge that I’m as stubborn as my father.”

Zephyr struggled to blink back the tears in her eyes, but eventually she couldn’t help herself any longer. She turned slowly to meet her father’s eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” she breathed, sounding hurt and almost frightened.

Hiccup’s eyes were filled with tears now as well. He shrugged helplessly, voice thick with sorrow. “It’s... It’s not an easy memory for your mother and I to just... Bring up, Zeph. We have a hard time talking to each other about it. Grimmel, he...” Hiccup closed his eyes tightly, his hands in fists. Eventually, he slowly continued. “There were a lot of people that came for our dragons. But Grimmel was the last straw. He... He’s the reason we sent them away.” He deflated again. “The reason _I_ decided we needed to send them away. To protect them. Berk lost a lot in a _week_... Our home, our friends, our entire way of life we had become so accustomed to...” He shook his head, still not able to look at her. “All because of me.”

Silence surrounded them like a fog of fear and anguish and regret.

Hiccup took a shaky breath, momentarily startling Zephyr. “But I wanted you to see what men like him can do. How every action you can make may have consequences, no matter how far down the line those consequences may come.” He finally found the strength to lift his head and meet her eyes. “Though I pray to the gods every day that you never have to make a decision that could have such extreme consequences as this.”

Zephyr took a careful step forward. Realizing her arms were locked tightly around her torso, she let them fall along with her eyes towards the ground. She couldn’t help herself from closing the distance and leaning against her father, who immediately wrapped his arms securely around her. “I... I can handle it, Dad,” she carefully reassured him; though her words of comfort were tainted by the shakiness of uncertainty.

Hiccup held her tighter. “I know you can, baby girl. I just never want you to have to feel that kind of pain.”

He continued to embrace her in silence for a long stretch of time after that, which she was thankful for. She still hadn’t entirely digested everything that she just experienced. Her mind was racing with the meanings and implications of everything Hiccup told her, and yet not a single coherent thought crossed her mind.

“Zephyr, hey, sweetheart. It’s okay, deep breath,” Hiccup whispered, swaying slightly with her. “I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry.”

Zephyr hadn’t realized she was slipping into a panic. She tried to steady her breathing, focusing on her father’s heartbeat against her ear.

He gently brushed her bangs from her face. “You’re okay, sweetheart, I’ve got you. I’m still here. You don’t have to worry about anything like this for a very, very long time.”

She nodded into his chest, calming down ever so slowly. Much to her surprise, she quickly brought herself under control, even if she was still shaky.

“That’s my girl,” Hiccup whispered. He pulled back just enough to smile down at her. “Hey, why don’t we go tour the old stables? We still have some time before we need to get back for the meeting. How does that sound?”

Zephyr sniffed and smiled. “That sounds pretty cool.”

“Yeah? I thought you might like that,” he lightly teased, brushing back her hair. “Come on, let’s go check it out.”

Zephyr nodded as he carefully guided her away from the wreckage. She willed herself not to look back, to focus on taking in what was left of her tribe’s motherland and the history behind it all. But the questions she had about Grimmel were searing themselves into the back of her mind.

She took another deep breath. _After we leave,_ she told herself. _We still have a three-day sail back home. This’ll all be easier to talk about when the results aren't staring us in the face, anyway._

So she pushed the questions back, forced them down to ponder on tomorrow or the next day. Besides, she really was dying to see what dragon stables looked like. And that curiosity was overriding the leftover fear from the story she just heard.

She even thought it convincingly enough that she almost tricked herself into believing it.


	4. The Treaty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picking back up with Zephyr and Hiccup this week, but we’ll get an idea of what Hiccup’s thinking now. permanentGuest was such an awesome beta helping me fix this chapter, so many thanks to him as always!  
> (Also, SO SORRY for the late post! My car decided to completely die on me so I spent the day car shopping. Oops... BUT I found a new car that hopefully won't spill oil all over the highway XD)

After spending quite a bit of time giving his daughter a tour of the stables, Hiccup was convinced enough that she felt better. Her smile was coming easier now, and she was laughing and running and asking questions. She seemed much more like her normal self again. Hiccup stole a glance out the main door, seeing the sun drifting lower in the sky. "Alright, Little Warrior, I think we need to head back for the meeting. They'll be wondering where we're at."

She pouted playfully, crossing her arms. He put his hands on his hips and stood his ground. Barely. Which made her laugh. "Fine, but can we come back later?"

"As you wish, Milady," he said with a bow.

Zephyr rolled her eyes and ran past him to bolt out of the main door. "That's Mom's name."

Hiccup followed her and muttered, "You act enough like her."

She stuck out her tongue over her shoulder. Hiccup chuckled and shook his head, waiting to see how long it took for her to remember she wasn't sure where she was going.

He counted 8 steps out of the stables before she paused. Sheepishly looking back at Hiccup, she pointed to the left, obviously unsure of herself.

Hiccup smiled and pointed to the right.

She spun around to look in that direction, seemed to nod slightly to herself, and then took off.

"Oh, boy," Hiccup chuckled. He walked after her, taking in the sight of the buildings around him. A few more of the blackened homes had collapsed than last year. Although of the new wreckage, nothing looked particularly man-made. Everything still looked like an abandoned, forgotten village, slowly weathered by the elements. That gave Hiccup some comfort; no one had come rummaging around as far as he could tell. Not that he knew of any people that were after his tribe or the dragons, but after years of watching his back, it was a habit he couldn't quite let himself part with.

By the time he reached the Great Hall, Zephyr was already recovering from another bearhug from Uncle Dagur. He looked around to find Snotlout working with a few representatives from each attending island preparing food, crewmembers pulling tables and benches from the edges of the room, and his friends fawning over his daughter in the middle of the space.

The whole room turned at the sound of the door creaking open. The crews quickly turned back to their tasks, but the leaders in the center smiled wide. Hiccup returned the smile. "My friends, good to see you all made it safely."

"We were afraid you had gotten lost, brother," Dagur teased, smacking him in the back (and seeming a little surprised when Hiccup didn't falter in response).

Hiccup chuckled and turned to his wife. "Mala! It's been a few years."

"Hello, Hiccup Haddock." She bowed slightly. "Dagur and I both decided we needed some, uh... Time away." She blushed slightly. "Heather is taking my place this year leading the island in my absence."

"The twins driving you crazy yet?" Hiccup teased, though Mala didn't have time to talk about their now seven year old daughters before a very large arm slung around his shoulders, squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Ah, we was wondering where you was, Haddock!" Alvin cried.

He took a deep breath as Alvin released him, trying to hide it under a laugh. "Uh, yeah, I was showing my daughter around." He waved Zephyr closer. "Zephyr, this is Alvin the Treacherous. He was a close friend of my father."

"'Til he banished me," Alvin reminded, though he was smiling. "Ah, I deserved it though. Yer grandfather was a good man," he said to Zephyr.

"So I hear," she politely replied, hands folded in front of her. "You're the chief of... Outcast Island, right?"

Alvin nodded, "Aye, I am. And this-" he opened his arm to acknowledge a tall, young man quietly standing behind him "-is me son, Eirson."

Eirson waved shyly. "Hey, Chief Haddock."

"Eirson," Hiccup chuckled and held out his hand, which the boy instantly shook. "I told you once and I'll tell you again, just call me Hiccup." He gestured to all of him. "You've grown quite a bit since last year!"

"Yes, sir," he replied with a shy smile to match the shy wave.

Hiccup chuckled again. Well, at least he had manners. Much more than Alvin did. "This is my daughter, Zephyr. She's taking Astrid's place this year."

"Should we be worried about Astrid's health?" Atali asked, stepping up to Hiccup and holding out her arms.

"Not at all," Hiccup lied (well, he hoped it _wasn't_ a lie) and embraced the Wingmaiden chief. "I just thought Zephyr would enjoy seeing the island."

"Oh, that's good to hear." Atali smiled as she turned to Zephyr. "My name is Atali. I lead the Wingmaiden tribe. I'm not sure how much you know-"

"Oh my gods," Zephyr breathed, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. "The Razorwhip tribe! What's it like? I mean, all the traditions you have, the responsibility, flying with baby dragons- Does it ever scare you? How is their demeanor different from the adults? How often do you-"

"Slow down, Zephyr," Hiccup laughed, squeezing her shoulders. "The poor woman just met you."

"Nonsense," Atali chided. "You and your lovely wife have spoken of her so much it's hard to imagine I'm only just now meeting her." She leaned in towards Zephyr and smiled widely. "I'd love to answer all your questions. Perhaps it will give us a chance to become more acquainted as well."

Zephyr's eyes were so bright Hiccup wondered if he should be looking for his old Deathsong amber goggles in order to look at her. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, since everyone is here, let's get some food and we'll get started," Hiccup prompted. Zephyr instantly glued herself to Atali's side, firing off questions faster than Atali could answer.

"I love her enthusiasm!" Dagur exclaimed, walking with Hiccup to serve himself some food. He elbowed his fellow chieftain. "You must be proud."

Hiccup smiled. "I am. Very proud, actually." He caught himself fighting back tears as he admired his daughter soaking in every word Atali spoke. "I mean, I knew she was excited about being my successor, but I never thought..."

"That she'd be everything you weren't at that age?" Dagur teased, but he sounded sincere.

"Well, yeah. I mean, look at her, Dag. She loves when I let her follow me around, teach her about the kind of chief I am. And when I don't offer, she begs me to come along." He shook his head a little while he filled his plate. "I mean, she's so... So..."

"Perfect?" Dagur snorted.

Hiccup chuckled. "Alright, I'm biased, but... Well, yeah. But..."

Dagur waited patiently, but when Hiccup didn't continue, he prompted, "But...?"

Hiccup pursed his lips. "But... I mean, she's _too_ perfect sometimes."

"Spit it out, Hiccy, what're you trying to say?"

"Nothing, nothing, just... I don't know, sometimes I just worry she's doing what she thinks I want her to do. Acts the way she thinks I want her to."

"Yeah, she probably is," Dagur laughed. "She wants to impress you, and the tribe."

"No, not like that," Hiccup corrected as they sat down. He looked up to see Zephyr sitting with Atali at the other end of the table, making sure she wouldn't overhear. Alvin sat down next to Hiccup, followed by Eirson next to Dagur opposite them. Mala chose a seat across from Atali and Zephyr, listening in and occasionally offering up some of her own dragon knowledge. The noise of the mingling crews' conversations filled the hall as well, providing a little extra noise to drown out their own conversation. "Like... Like she doesn't really _want_ to be doing any of it. But she is anyway because we _expect_ her to."

"Do you?" Dagur swallowed the mouthful of food he had just spoken around. "Expect her to, I mean."

"Of course not."

"Then she doesn't expect you to expect her to either." He dropped his spoon, gesturing to Alvin and Hiccup now. "Look, we're all dads here."

"Surprisingly," Hiccup muttered. Even after fathering four (probably five) children with Astrid, there were still times he felt like they were the same reckless kids walking into dragon training for the first time.

Dagur pointed to Hiccup. "You can say that again." He looked to Alvin directly. "But we're all extremely different fathers. I'm the one that loves to play along with whatever crazy thing my daughters come up with. Alvin is..." Dagur looked at Alvin, then shot a glance at Eirson out of the corner of his eye. "Alvin is a very... _Strong_ kind of dad, very-"

Alvin chuckled. "Don't need to sugar coat it, we know I'm not exactly the 'present' type. More like Stoick. Ain't proud of it, but affection ain't me strong suit."

Eirson smiled while looking at the food he was pushing around his plate. "You're great, Dad."

"Ah," Alvin groaned and waved off his son, but Hiccup could see a smile under his beard.

Dagur shrugged and turned back to Hiccup. "And then there's _you_. And _you_ are too afraid of recreating the relationship you had with your dad before all the dragon stuff happened."

Hiccup sighed. "What's your point?"

Dagur leaned over the table. "You wear your heart on your sleeve for your kids. They know _exactly_ how you feel about them, what you think about them, what you expect of them. So if you don't expect Zephyr to act like the perfect Chieftess by the time she's 16, then Zephyr is well aware she doesn't need to. Meaning the interest she shows now? That is _genuine_ interest. I mean look at her. How can you think that's a show? She doesn't even know you're watching her right now."

All four of the men looked down the table at Zephyr, still chatting away with the women. Sensing eyes on them and realizing the men had grown quiet, Mala and Atali looked at them, then followed their gazes to Zephyr as well.

Zephyr looked around the table, face suddenly quite red once she noticed all the eyes on her. "What did I do?" she slowly asked.

Dagur looked back to Hiccup and pointed his thumb at Zephyr. "See?"

Hiccup shot him an annoyed look. "Well, since I have everyone's attention," he said loudly, standing up. He sighed and smiled. "Why don't we get the official stuff out of the way?"

The adults nodded, and Eirson and Zephyr both looked intently at Hiccup. The rest of the room quieted in response to Hiccup's words, continuing their conversations low enough that the chieftains could begin their meeting.

Though they held the meetings only once a year, Hiccup knew his words by heart after 20 years. "Hairy Hooligans. Berserkers. Outcasts. And Wingmaidens. Our tribes have seen times of peace and times of conflict, both amongst ourselves and with others in and out of this Archipelago. Until we finally realized we were all fighting towards the same goal - a good life for our tribes. And in addition to that, we often had the same enemies. It is for this reason we gather yearly to renew our promise to each other. A promise to stand together against those who attack our way of life. And we gather here on Old Berk to bear witness to the destruction that these enemies have caused to my own tribe's island, the night before we left our home of seven generations for our own safety, and the safety of the comrades who have continued to slowly disappear over the years since."

Hiccup smiled, letting the formal tone of his voice drop as the traditional opening words were finished. "And now, after two decades, we continue the tradition. Not because we question the trust we have in each other, or whether that trust will stand the test of time. But to visit with friends. And I couldn't be happier. It is a tradition I sincerely hope our own children and successors" - he gestured to Zephyr and Eirson, the only successors in attendance - "feel the confidence and safety to continue."

Hiccup raised his cup. "To the next generation."

"To the next generation!" The entire hall raised their glasses and toasted, smiling at Eirson and Zephyr and making them blush.

"Alright, now can you just pass the treaty around so we can get to the fun stuff?" Dagur all but begged.

Hiccup chuckled. "Do you act like this at every formal treaty signing?" He signed his own name on the agreement before passing the parchment and pencil to Dagur.

"I'd hardly call this a formal gathering," Atali teased. "Not after all these years. We don't even read the terms of the treaty anymore."

Mala shrugged, but nodded. "The same as every year, yes, Hiccup?"

"Of course," Hiccup replied, taking his seat again. "No attacking each other, conflicts will be settled in a formal hearing that includes a representative from each tribe, aid will be provided as needed to the struggling party. We treat each tribe as our own."

Everyone at the table nodded and smiled.

"Then why bore ourselves?" Mala continued. "I am more curious to hear why our dear Astrid Haddock stayed home. Not that I don't love seeing you, Zephyr," she added, reaching across the table to pat Zephyr's hand.

"Astrid is fine," Hiccup said with raised hands. "It's just a precaution."

"Precaution for what?" Dagur urged.

Hiccup's face was very hot as all eyes at the table bored into him. "Uh... Well, she may be, uh, possibly pregnant again."

Dagur stood up so abruptly he pushed the table into Hiccup and Alvin's stomachs. He pointed at Mala. "Ha! I told you!"

Mala simply shook her head with a small smile gracing her lips.

"You bet on my wife and me?" Hiccup asked, only half surprised.

Dagur sat down quickly, looking like a child caught doing something he shouldn't. "Uh... No we didn't."

Hiccup looked at Mala unamused.

Mala shrugged again, still smiling.

Atali and Alvin snickered. Hiccup crossed his arms and looked back at Dagur.

Dagur looked to Alvin. "So how's life on Outcast?"

"It's fine," Alving replied, still chuckling. "The farming's not working out like we hoped, but the Markets still give us a fair price."

"Those nearby islands didn't work out?" Hiccup asked, welcoming the change of topic.

"Nah, too much trouble sailin' over to tend to the fields. Just easier to grow what little we have been for years and get the rest from trade." He gestured to Eirson. "Me boy here is doing great learning the job, though. Got some great ideas of his own to start up back home."

"Uh, yeah, well, they still need a lot of work before I'm ready to actually start up any of the projects," Eirson added, blushing again.

"What kind of work?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, just more planning." Eirson looked like he wanted to bury his head in his plate. "I mean, the ideas are there, yeah, but I still need to figure out how to implement them."

"You have to start somewhere," Hiccup encouraged. Eirson smiled and nodded, still not quite looking up from his empty plate. "Everything running smoothly on Berserker Island?" He turned to Dagur again.

"Fine, yeah," Dagur said. "No issues with the Market, even with your occasional orders. No one really asks about where you guys disappeared to anymore. I think a lot of them just assume you're off somewhere struggling to stay alive, if that. Though that may be less of a loss of interest and more because we just buy it all as if it's for our own island. Makes it easier."

"Dear, have you forgotten the skirmish with the weapons dealer?" Mala interjected.

"I'd hardly call that a _skirmish_ , my love."

"What happened?" Hiccup asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Dagur assured. "He stopped me and asked if I had any of a particular material he was looking for. Said I might know where he could find it."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "What material?"

Dagur sighed. "Brother-"

" _Brother,_ please. What material?"

He looked into Hiccup's eyes carefully before breathing tiredly, "Gronckle iron."

The table went silent.

"Hiccup, don't worry about it," Dagur continued. "I told him the same thing I tell everyone. I haven't seen a dragon - let alone a Gronckle - in over ten years."

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Did he believe you?"

Dagur shrugged. "He fought me for a moment, but eventually I convinced him. It wasn't hard to get him to back down after that. No one else around there had seen a dragon lately either, so it's not like he had anything to base his claims off of. Just that we were a tribe that had dragons all those years ago."

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't like that people are asking about it again, though."

"It's one person, Hiccup," Dagur tried.

Hiccup ignored him. "You haven't had anyone else bring it up?"

"Nope. In or out of the tribe."

"Nor have I," Mala confirmed. "I admit it did seem to be an isolated incident. But still worthy of your attention."

Hiccup nodded. "And you two haven't seen any dragons?"

They both shook their heads. "No, not since the last group flew over the year the twins were born," Mala said.

"And like we said, we assumed they were headed to the Hidden World," Dagur added. "They looked like they were being escorted by Light Furies."

"Alvin? Eirson?"

They both shook their heads as well. "Been even longer than that for me." Alvin thought for a moment. "Don't think I've seen one-a those beasts since I came home with Eirson."

That was a good sign. It seemed the dragons were slowly disappearing east to west. Hiccup himself hadn't seen a flock in years. "Alright. But we need to stay on top of this. I don't want a repeat of Drago. The last thing we need is someone ending our peaceful years because they're determined to find the dragons."

They all nodded, not having to be convinced of the horrors that would be sure to follow.

"I'll let you know if I hear anything else," Dagur said, somber now.

"Thank you," Hiccup whispered. He cleared his throat. "Atali, how are the newborns this year?"

"Yes, the newborns," Atali seemed to mentally shake herself. "They're fantastic, they seemed to bond especially quickly this year. Minden is back on the island continuing the training exercises for me."

"And you haven't had anyone poking around that shouldn't be?"

"No, not that we've seen." Atali's brows furrowed. "Though I may consider increasing patrols, just to be safe. It sounds as though we're the only island left with dragons."

"It definitely couldn't hurt," Hiccup pondered. "I do worry about your tribe, with the babies and mothers still on the island. But the other dragons seem to have a system together already to get them all back to the Hidden World, so I don't want to interrupt their process."

Atali nodded, worry clear on her face. "I've had the same thoughts. We will increase patrols and scouts, at least for a while. Just in case."

"Send word if you need extra manpower," Dagur offered. "We have plenty of women we could send over."

"We could send a group with Ruffnut as well," Hiccup agreed. "I'd rather your tribe be protected. We have enough natural defenses."

"Thank you," Atali said, smiling, "but our tribe has always been prepared to protect our island. If trouble arises, I will write and let you know. But we should be just fine."

"What about New Berk?" Mala asked. "And problems there?"

Hiccup shrugged. "We're still adjusting to some of the changes, but logistically we've got mostly everything figured out. Some changes will need to be made if Astrid really is pregnant like we suspect, but that's nothing new." He smiled down the table to his daughter. "Zephyr has been a great help all around. She's never afraid to jump in where we need extra hands."

Zephyr smiled proudly. "Thanks, Dad."

Hiccup sighed. "Well, then I guess for the most part everything is business as usual. I know it sounds like an isolated incident, but I would really encourage everyone to stay on high alert for a while, alright?"

Everyone nodded.

Dagur scoffed. "I hate to say it, but we're all getting too old for this shit. I'd gladly wish all this stuff to blow over."

Alvin raised his tankard. "I'll drink to that!"

The group eased into friendly conversations after that, catching up on storytelling of everyday shenanigans from the last year. Hiccup caught Zephyr's eyes. She looked like she had far too much on her mind to socialize, and he understood that. It was a lot to throw on her at once, and while that wasn't his intention, it wasn't exactly avoidable once she saw the state of her people's homeland. More than that, he desperately wanted to protect her from the hardships and pain that he had faced. He wasn't sure how to do that exactly, but he hoped learning from his mistakes would help. She caught him looking at her and seemed to be pleading with her eyes. He smiled slightly and nodded to her, gesturing with his head to the door. She sighed in relief and stood swiftly. As she passed him, she leaned over to hug his neck and kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, and he smiled as she made her way to the door behind him.

And then Hiccup saw Eirson eyeing her. And he recognized that look in his eyes.

Oh, boy, did he recognize that look.

Eirson stood up and moved to follow Zephyr's path out the door. Hiccup stood as well as slyly as he could manage to cut Eirson off, stopping him with a hand to his shoulder. He cleared his throat as quietly as he could and tried to ignore how the boy was just about as tall as he was. He puffed out his chest a little and tried to stand a little taller. When he spoke, he dropped his voice a bit deeper than usual. "Where are you going, son? I thought we could talk about those ideas you have for your home."

Eirson's eyes grew to the size of dragon eggs for a moment. "Oh. Uh, you know, just... Uh... Fresh air?"

Hiccup nodded, considering his words before continuing in the same lower tone. "Aye, meetings can be a bit stuffy, huh? But you'll get used to it, don't worry." Hiccup smiled and patted Eirson's shoulder with a bit of force.

Eirson laughed nervously and buckled a little under the force of the shoulder pat in a way that reminded Hiccup of how he reacted to Stoick doing the same to him. "Uh, yeah, stuffy. Just, uh, need to clear my head, you know?" Eirson shuffled past Hiccup and continued towards the door, walking backwards so he was still facing the adults in the room. "Think over everything we talked about, consider the, uh... Implications of everything to my tribe, uh... Make my own 'chiefly' opinions and all," he rambled. "Really, just, you know, take it all in, uh-" His back hit the door and the surprise showed on his face. He reached behind himself and desperately pushed on the door, laughing nervously as he escaped into the dying light of the day.

"Did you _lower your voice?"_ Dagur accused once the door swung shut.

Hiccup turned around to see his brother eyeing him with an amused face. "What? No!"

"Tryina' intimidate me son there, Haddock?" Alvin smirked.

"Of course not! For the love of Thor, can't a guy have a conversation!"

"Apparently not," Mala offered. "After all, you did physically stop him as he attempted to have a conversation with dear Zephyr."

Atali and Dagur snickered.

"I did not!" Hiccup insisted, cheeks now burning like an angry Monstrous Nightmare.

"Oh, come now, Hiccup," Atalia playfully chided. "What is so bad about Zephyr and Eirson getting along? You should be glad. It enforces that she intends to keep the alliances we built strong."

"Nothing is bad about it!"

"Oh, good, so you won't be upset about planning a wedding in a few years," Mala offered, casually sipping her meade. "Or in a few months," she added with a smile.

Hiccup flailed his arms helplessly. "W-w-w- _wedding?!_ Wh-who said anything a-about a wedding?! She's-she's not even fourteen!"

"Oh, don't get your leather in a twist, _Daddy,_ " Dagur laughed. "Let the kids have some fun."

Hiccup paused. " _Fun?"_

The table burst out in laughter. Hiccup laughed nervously with them as he slid back into his seat, and suddenly his own full helping of meade was mysteriously gone.


	5. Unlikely Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y’all enjoy this chapter! We’re switching back to Zephyr this week. I’ll leave more notes at the end. Thanks to my awesome beta as always for the massive overhaul we made on this chapter!
> 
> ***TW: Description of anxiety attack***

Zephyr took a deep breath of the fresh air as soon as she stepped outside the Great Hall. Having the chance to meet Atali, catch up with Mala, and sit in on the treaty signing was something she had looked forward to for weeks. But now...

She opened her eyes to the blackened buildings surrounding her.

Now she just wanted _away_.

She didn’t really _think,_ she just _ran._ And part of her didn’t care where she ended up. The other part only felt a little guilty that her dad would have to send everyone looking for her when she couldn’t find her way back.

But she couldn’t do it. Not right now. She didn’t know what she had expected when her father offered to bring her to Old Berk, but what she saw...

 _No, don’t think about it_ , she told herself.

She could only imagine the fire, the destruction that caused the ruins to look as indistinguishable as they did. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

It reminded her just how little conflict she had seen in her life.

It reminded her just how unprepared she was to lead her people.

She burst through the treeline, escaping the horrors and letting the lush forest engulf her. The stark difference between the village ruins and the lively vegetation shocked her only for a moment, and she only remembered how unfamiliar she was with the terrein when she nearly tripped on a tree root.

 _Unfamiliar_. She didn’t like how familiar that word was becoming on this trip.

Panting, she made herself slow down and pay attention to where she was going. Though by this point, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to find her way back. She didn’t recognize anything around her, not even from her trek through the woods with her father hours earlier. Disappointed in herself for falling apart so easily, she slid down the trunk of a tree and sat in the cool dirt, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

She couldn’t understand why she was unraveling. Granted, she wasn’t accustomed to this place like she was with New Berk. She knew every stone, every root, every leaf of that forest by heart. But she couldn’t imagine that was the problem; she liked adventure. She’d seen ruins, but ruins of a conflict caused by a man that died two years before her own birth. Her father had recounted the night they evacuated the island, but it was just a story. It wasn’t nearly as horrifying as some of the others she had heard. But standing in the ruins as he told it...

She took a deep breath. The blackened, ashy, nearly non-existent ruins...

She shuddered. The destruction that must have caused all of that...

She took a deep breath again, but her chest fought back against her. _No, stop, don’t think about it._ She tried again, but her chest only tightened more. Why couldn’t she breathe?

She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. She wasn’t in danger; no one was coming for New Berk. No one wanted to destroy her village like Old Berk was destroyed. She wouldn’t see New Berk in blackened ashes like this, buildings collapsing and others barely standing... Her house reduced to nothing but a burnt circle of dead grass after the wind blew the ashes away... Her family left displaced and injured... Her siblings huddled together, bleeding and broken and crying...

Her chest tightened even more until it hurt to breathe. She straightened her legs to release the pressure her knees were putting on her chest, but it didn’t help. She clutched her chest and tried to focus on pulling the air in and letting it out, but it was hard to focus through the dizziness clouding her head. When did she get so dizzy?

“Zephyr?”

The voice came from somewhere off in the trees, but she couldn’t place it.

She looked around, suddenly hyper aware of the trees around her. Were they always so dense? She felt like they were closing in on her, like they wanted to trap her here, filling in any empty spaces she could escape through. She tried to stand up, to beat the trees and escape before they had that chance, but her legs were so shaky. She stumbled, clutching the tree she had leaned against for support, begging her legs to respond and hold up her body. _What was happening to her?_

“Zephyr? Is everything okay?”

 _Absolutely not,_ she thought to herself. The voice was growing closer, a male voice, but she couldn’t get her mind to pull the matching name from her memory. But whoever it was, she couldn’t let him see her like this. She spun around, searching for an escape route through the trees still growing ever closer to her.

“Zeph- Oh, there you are. Are you-?”

She ran. She didn’t know what direction, and she didn’t particularly care either. She just ran. But her chest was already squeezing the air out of her lungs, and her already pounding heart screamed in protest as she pushed her legs faster. She stumbled as she continued to beg her feet to obey, but there was too much crowding her mind. The image of New Berk in flames, her family breaking apart, a madman laughing at the destruction he had caused, her chest was still getting tighter and her heart was still pounding harder and she still couldn’t _just make her lungs breathe already_ and she could hear footsteps pounding behind her and a voice yelling at her and the trees were blocking her view of the sun if the sun was even still there anymore and they were getting closer and closer to her they were almost hitting her and-

Suddenly there was nothing around her at all, and it took her a moment to realize she must have broken through the treeline. The land in front of her seemed to drop off suddenly. Her mind only registered there was a cliff there a few steps before she reached the drop off. She tried to stop, but her legs were still so shaky that she couldn’t quite overcome the momentum, until suddenly the ground beneath her had run out.

_“Shit, Zephyr!”_

She heard something skid through the dirt behind her just before a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She screamed as she looked down at the ground hundreds of feet below her, one foot still on the cliff edge but the other swinging freely in the air. Someone groaned behind her and pulled her back onto the solid ground next to a large tree branch that another hand was gripping tightly.

Two hands gripped her shoulders, and she looked up to see Eirson panting and red-faced in front of her.

“Hey, Zephyr, it’s okay! Just breathe, I got you.” He gently squeezed her shoulders, concern dripping from his brown eyes. “You’re good now, see? Solid ground, it’s alright.”

She tried to breathe, but her chest was still so tight.

“It’s okay,” he repeated, searching her face. “Come here, let’s sit down.” He started to pull her back towards the trees, further from the cliff’s edge.

“I-I’m fine,” Zephyr said after a beat, but her voice was shaky and lacked its usual confidence.

Eirson turned back around and looked at her curiously, though the concern was still there. His eyebrows pinched together for a brief second, as if he was contemplating something. “I know,” he said slowly, trying to be nonchalant. “But that was a pretty nice run, yeah? A quick rest would feel good.”

He held out his hand, inviting her now instead of guiding her, and waited patiently. He was still breathing hard, and Zephyr was still shaking, though she could feel the vice around her chest slowly lifting.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I won’t hurt you.” He smiled shyly, thinking of something else. “If I wanted to do that, I would’ve just let you keep running off that cliff.”

 _Fair point,_ she thought. She could feel her stomach tingle where he had wrapped his arm around her. She wanted to let him hold her like that again; it felt safe, grounded, and it seemed to chase away that... That strange feeling she had before. The one that consumed her and made her panic. But no matter how much she wanted him to hold her again, she couldn’t bring herself to take his hand; she couldn’t look weak.

She looked at the trees, and then back to Eirson. “Were... Were you following me?” she asked, trying to ignore how shaky her voice still sounded.

Eirson blushed. “Uh... Well, I guess, technically, yeah.” He smiled shyly again, sliding one hand in his pocket while the other rubbed at the back of his neck. “I, uh, I figured you and I could, you know... Talk, and get to know each other while the adults caught up.” He looked down, his eyebrows stitching together. “But then I saw you take off into the woods and you looked really... Flustered? I don’t know, I just worried if you were okay. So I ran after you.”

“I’m fine,” was all Zephyr managed to say.

Eirson nodded with raised eyebrows. “Yeah, you said that.”

The pair was quiet after that, steadily catching their breaths. Zephyr could breath a bit easier now, though she was still shaky.

“You’re a really fast runner, by the way,” Eirson said suddenly. “I mean, I kept up, but barely.”

Zephyr didn’t respond. She wasn’t sure what he was doing, what kind of reaction he was trying to get out of her.

He looked up when she didn’t say anything and his cheeks blushed again when he found her staring at him. “Just an observation,” he muttered, looking back to the ground.

“What do you want?” Zephyr asked quickly.

He looked up again, confused. “What do you mean?”

“What do you want?” she repeated. “Why did you follow me out here?”

“I told you,” he said slowly, “I was worried you weren’t okay.”

“But why did you _really_ follow me out here?” she insisted.

He chuckled half-heartedly. “What, does everyone in the world have an ulterior motive to you?”

Her cheeks flushed red with anger.

His eyes widened. “Oh. I didn’t mean-”

“Just, stop.” She sighed as she turned on her heels and walked down the length of the cliff.

She heard his footsteps behind her. “What on earth happened to you that you think everyone is trying to use you?” he asked, though she couldn’t decide if it was accusatory or an honest question.

“None of your business.” She started walking a bit faster.

He groaned behind her and broke into a jog, reaching for her arm. “Zephyr, stop.” He half-spun her before stepping in front of her and blocking her path. “Alright, fine. You want an ulterior motive? I followed you out here because I thought you were nice enough, and you're the oldest child of my dad’s closest ally. So I figured, hey, why not try to build a relationship with you, a friendship, so we could _continue_ that alliance once you and I take over for our fathers.” He looked around a little helplessly. “And, if I’m being honest, I’m not the best with all the leadership stuff. And you sound like you are.” He shrugged and sighed. “I thought maybe you could help me with that, and I could help you with something else. If you needed it.”

Zephyr just stared at him.

He glanced around nervously. “And, you know, maybe we could support each other through that whole... Chiefly transition.”

She narrowed her eyes.

He paused for a moment before continuing. “Plenty of people don’t want me to be the successor either. I just thought it’d be nice if we both had someone to lean on. Someone who understands.”

Zephyr still didn’t speak, but she loosened her stance slightly.

It must have been enough for Eirson to notice. He bit his lip and nervously asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“I was fine before,” she bit back quietly, though it didn’t sound as harsh as she had intended.

He nodded slowly. “I know.” He looked her up and down. “But are you feeling _better?”_

She narrowed her eyes slightly, but he just patiently waited for her reply. It took a while, but she slowly admitted, “Yeah... Yeah, I feel better.”

He smiled. Not shyly like before. Not quite confidently either, or smug. Just... Pleasantly smiled at her. Like it was just the natural way his face set. “Good. I’m glad.”

She didn’t say anything else.

He remained patient. “Do you want to talk about whatever freaked you out back there?”

“Nothing freaked me out,” she immediately replied.

“A simple ‘no’ would have worked,” he said with the same, easy smile. Not teasing, just... Smiling.

Zephyr suddenly realized how tired she was. She could feel her eyes growing heavy as she tried to stand her ground.

Eirson held out his hand again. “So, do you want to take a seat and rest for a bit, or just keep standing there swaying and trying to look strong?” There was a joking tone to his voice, but his smile was sweet and his eyes were caring.

But his words didn’t come across that way. “What, so you think you have me all figured out now?” she scoffed, turning away from him. But her legs still weren’t steady, and her body just felt so _heavy._ So instead of stalking off to find the village again, she slid down against a tree and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

She could hear Eirson sitting down near her, but far enough away to give her space. “No, I know I don’t.” He paused for a minute as he got himself settled. “But I’d like to.”

Zephyr didn’t move. She was too busy ignoring Eirson and letting the wind caress her face.

Eirson seemed to get the hint because he _finally_ stayed silent as well. And soon she felt easy and calm enough to start to doze off.

Unfortunately, Eirson decided he wasn’t happy with that. “I don’t know how much you know about me...” he started quietly, so softly that his voice seemed to mix with the breeze.

She sighed. He wasn’t letting this go. “You’re Alvin’s only son, your mom wasn’t an Outcast and she never married your father. She died not long after she gave birth to you, and no one seems to know who she was. If they do, they don’t talk about it. According to my parents and the rest of Council, at least.” She opened one eye to glance to the side. “Happy?”

He chuckled silently, the same sweet smile on his lips. “A little. Want to know more?”

She managed to keep her sigh internal this time, but closed her eyes and let her head roll back again. “Sure,” she said, not sure if she really meant it or not. She really just wanted to take a nap.

“Well, you know just about everything about me that I know.”

Okay, that caught her attention. She lifted her head and turned to him. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged, unusually nonchalant after such a confession. “Just that. Everything you just said about me, those few sentences... That’s about all I know about my mom too.” He looked out to the setting sun in front of them. “Dad has only told me two other things about her. Her name was Eira.”

Zephyr’s brows pinched together. “Alvin named you after her?”

He nodded. “Yeah, he did. Which is why I think he really must have loved her. Keldon even said he never knew my father could love like that until he heard him talk about my mom.” Zephyr thought back while Eirson paused and vaguely remembered Keldon was the name of Alvin’s second in command. Though she didn’t get much further than that before Eirson started talking again. “Dad also told me that she was very sweet and caring. When I was growing up, he told me all the time that he hoped every day I’d turn out more like her and less like him.” He shrugged. “He seems proud of me more often than not, so I like to think that means I did.” He met Zephyr’s eyes. “You said no one talks about her, right?”

She nodded slowly.

He pulled his knees up and leaned against them. “You’re right, they don’t. Keldon told me what he knew, but even that isn’t much. Dad left to visit an island, I don’t even know which one. Keldon said he was gone for a year, and came back broken and hardened with a baby boy in his arms. And he doesn’t talk about it anymore.”

Zephyr was stunned into silence.

Eirson looked at her and chuckled at her expression. “I know. I’ve tried, but Dad doesn’t do well with strong emotions like that. So after a while I just let it go. I figure I’ll find out someday. Whether he tells me what happened on his deathbed or Keldon finds something out and lets me know. But anyway, even though I lived practically my whole life on Outcast Island, there’s still a lot of the tribe that doesn’t think I’m fit to take my father’s place. They don’t want to be led by a bastard. But, since my dad doesn’t have any other children, they don’t really have a choice. Some of them just grumble about it. Others...” He sighed. “Dad’s convinced we’ll have a coup on our hands when he tries to pass me the chiefdom.”

Zephyr nodded, but wasn’t sure how to respond outside of that.

“As for you,” he continued. “Dad told me quite a bit about you.”

“He did?”

“Of course. He taught me everything he knows about each of our three allies.” He took a deep breath and leaned back. “You’re Hiccup’s oldest out of four - well, five now, I guess - and you have two younger brothers and a younger sister. You’re four years younger than me. The oldest of your brothers is Nuffink, who is... Four years younger than you, I believe? Which, all things considered, isn’t that much of an age difference. So while Dad assumes you will be heir, despite the fact that Hiccup hasn’t made that official announcement yet, he _also_ assumes that a good portion of your tribe assumes _Nuffink_ will be heir, since he is the oldest _son._ ” He turned to Zephyr. “Which, given how strong-headed you seem - and I swear I mean that in the nicest way, it’s a good trait - you’re determined to make Hiccup proud. Which I can definitely relate to,” he added with a chuckle.

Zephyr laughed sarcastically and turned away from him. “Congratulations, you know my backstory. That doesn’t mean you know me.”

“I know. But I meant it when I said I’d like to.”

She shook her head in her frustration.

Eirson scrubbed his face with his hands. “Look, I’m not asking you to share your deepest, most intimate secrets. I just thought it’d be nice to have a... A common ground we could use to help each other on. For the good of our people. To make us better leaders for them.” He sighed and stood up. “I’m not your enemy, Zephyr. I don’t want to be. And we would be stupid to assume that our tribes would be thriving just as well as they are now if our parents didn’t have the strong friendships that they have. I think you and I have a lot more in common than you think. But, gods, I hope you have friends in New Berk. Because you seem damned determined not to open up to anyone else.”

She kept her head turned away from him until she heard his footsteps heading back into the trees. She watched him walk down the hill they must have run up before and took the chance to truly look him over. He was fairly tall, and thinking back to their conversation she recalled he had about a head’s height above her. He had broad shoulders, strong arms, and long legs. He wasn’t a large, burly Viking like his father, but he was far from scrawny. Though he did have his father’s dark hair, as well as the scruffy beginnings of a dark beard to match. His hair was long and he had the top half of it pulled back lazily with a piece of leather. She had to admit he was handsome. But she couldn’t help noticing that he lacked the confidence most boys his age would boast with that kind of physical appearance. He had a tendency to slouch his shoulders, his hands seemed to always be in his pockets, and his voice was always so soft, almost as if he was constantly asking, “Is it okay that I say this?”

And then there was his eyes... The image of them staring back at her after he pulled her back from the cliff was seared into her mind. They were a deep brown, but once the sunlight hit them just right, they had a warm, amber glow. They were soft, searching, sincere. Even as he grew more frustrated through their conversation, they still held onto a warm kindness. As if, no matter what she said, he would trust her words, despite having just met her earlier that day. They never grew cold, even once he stood up to walk away. Sad, perhaps, but never cold or vengeful or angry.

And the way his arm felt around her... She believed he followed her out here out of concern for her well being just by the way he held her, the strong yet gentle hold he had on her shoulders, and the concern that was evident in both his eyes and his voice. Everything about him was genuine. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and she wondered (and worried) if he did that for everyone, or just those he cared for.

She bit her lip. He was nearly the perfect opposite of her. And she didn’t know how she felt about that. But she had to admit he had a point; they were still allies, and she absolutely did not have a reason nor the desire to burn that bridge. Especially after her father had spent all those years building such strong bonds with the other tribes. The Outcasts were never a threat to New Berk, and the threat they posed to Old Berk disappeared years before they made the move off the island. Alvin and her father were closer than ever, and any animosity between Alvin and the Haddocks had long been forgiven. Whether they became friends or not, she still wanted to keep that alliance alive and healthy. Which meant working closely with Eirson, just as her father worked closely with Alvin.

Well, fuck.

She groaned and stood up. “Eirson, wait up!”

He turned, looking a little surprised, and waited while she jogged down the hill to catch up with him. “Change your mind?” he asked with a smile.

She rolled her eyes. “No, you were going left. I’m pretty sure the village is to the right. Come on.” She walked past him and continued through the trees. She thought she heard him chuckle behind her, but he followed. The rest of the walk back was quiet, and Zephyr thanked the gods he didn’t push the conversation again. Whether she ever opened up to him or not, she was far too exhausted to think about it today.

Once they found the village again, Zephyr had to suppress a shudder, hoping the feeling from earlier wouldn’t come back. She could hear yelling and singing and music coming from the Great Hall. “Do they party like this every year?” she asked, not particularly expecting an answer.

“Yeah,” Eirson replied anyway. “Dagur is usually the first to go. Crazy, I mean, not literally leave. I swear that man just gets more insane the more meade he drinks.”

Zephyr laughed. “Just wait until you see him and my Uncle Tuffnut drunk together.”

Eirson was right; as soon as they walked into the hall, Dagur had an arm slung around each of their shoulders. “Well there you two are! Now where on earth did you _lovebirds_ get to?!” She could easily smell the meade on his breath.

Zephyr groaned and snuck out of his sloppy embrace. “Uncle Dagur, please, we just went exploring in the woods.”

 _“Alone?”_ he said with a suggestive smile.

Zephyr crossed her arms and glared at him, but before she could say anything, Eirson spoke up. “Alright, you caught us. I went exploring and got _incredibly_ lost. Zephyr found me and dragged me back before I fell off a cliff or something.”

Zephyr nearly choked on air at his mention of falling off a cliff, but kept it together enough that her drunk uncle wouldn’t have noticed. But she did notice Eirson's small but devious smile at her reaction.

“Mmhmm,” Dagur said, though he drew it out much longer than usual. “I’ve got my eyes on you two.” He continued to stare at them as he backed away, running into at least three Vikings in the process before turning around to look for something.

She caught her father’s eyes across the room where he was talking to Atali, who he dragged along with him to talk to her and Eirson.

“Oh boy,” Eirson muttered, sounding legitimately scared. Which Zephyr found incredibly funny. She wondered what her father had said to him.

“Did you two have a good time exploring?” he said, though he grew concerned once he saw Zephyr. “Are you feeling alright, sweetheart? You look exhausted.”

“I am,” she admitted with a smile. “But it’s okay, I don’t want to miss the chance to see everybody.”

Hiccup smiled understandingly and hugged her. “Why don’t you go back and rest, Little Warrior. You’ll see everyone again really soon.”

Wait, what? “When?”

“Well,” Hiccup started, with the same smile Zephyr knew far too well; it was the same excited smile he had whenever he told her she was getting another sibling, or right before she opened a gift he knew she would love. “We decided that we’re going to hold a true celebration this year for your birthday. A celebration fit for an heir.”

Zephyr felt the blood drain from her face. “Wait...”

“And, if you’re ready, we’ll make the official announcement at the celebration as well!”

Oh gods. Oh _gods._ She knew it was coming eventually, but she didn’t expect it to happen _this year._ Let alone a month from now!

“So,” he continued, unaware of her internal struggle, “no need to worry about missing the chance to mingle with everyone, because they’ve all already said they’ll be there.” He hugged her tight and kissed her hair. “Get some rest, sweetheart. You’ve had a long day. And I’m sure Eret would love to give you the sailing lesson you kept asking him about on the way over here while we sail home, yeah?”

She managed to smile and laugh weakly. “Sounds great.”

She left the hall in a bit of a daze as she walked back to the ship. She tried to think back over the day, but it was far too overwhelming. Seeing Old Berk, hearing the stories, listening to the meeting, learning about the sudden mention of dragons in the Northern Markets, the problem she had in the forest, Eirson trying to get her to open up to him, her dad bringing up the party and the announcement... It was too much to think about. She just wanted to sleep, to wake up tomorrow and not worry about any of it anymore.

But she knew she couldn’t do that. _A chief_ couldn’t do that.

She sighed. But she wasn’t a chief yet. So for now, she was going to sleep and worry about it tomorrow. Or maybe the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy. Sorry in advance for the long note here!  
> So... This was a very tough chapter for me to write. I have struggled with anxiety for so many years, and only recently have I really risen above it. For those that don't have experience with anxiety or don't know someone who struggles with it, everyone experiences it differently. I based Zephyr's panic attack on my own experiences, and I had to do it in many different sittings to avoid triggering myself. I'm not telling y'all this to fish for sympathy (though I am more than happy to answer questions or curiosities) but to remind those that aren't familiar with anxiety disorders that panic attacks come in a huge range of forms. Personally, my mind is always in chaos, but on the outside I could be doing anything from staring off into space to heavily crying. Sometimes I say things or act in certain ways that aren't characteristic of me or don't seem like they belong. Sometimes they last a few minutes, and I have had attacks that last for weeks on end. On that same idea, coping mechanisms have a huge range of possibilities, too. Personally, I need something familiar or mindless to focus on; but the one thing that grounds me the fastest and most effectively is having someone hold me and talk me down. I have always had this headcannon that Zephyr develops anxiety, and it just felt wrong of me to leave that out because it made me feel self conscious or uncomfortable or too worried about what people would think. This chapter is sort of the tipping point of that development. All I ask is that my readers keep in mind that Zephyr's anxiety is a reflection of my own, and it might not sound like "stereotypical anxiety" at times.  
> Whew okay serious stuff out of the way. I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and are as excited to see more of Eirson as I am!


	6. How Bad Could It Be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We're backing things up again a little to check in on Argo! Trigger warning is for a few lines in the middle of the chapter.
> 
> ***TW: Descriptions of body mutilation***

**_Four Months Earlier_ **

Argo took a deep breath as he walked back to his so-called house. That sad little broken down stall had provided him measly shelter for the last eight years since his banishment. It was hard to think back on those years; he had learned to steal when he was very young, but he wasn’t any good at it until he had to be. He nearly starved on more than one occasion, with the winters being particularly hard. But he always found some way to survive, no matter how things got. Though it was hard to really imagine he was living for something. He’d wondered on more than one occasion if it would have been best to just die off years ago. It would’ve saved him and a lot of others the troubles he caused.

It was hard to imagine he had any purpose in this world at all. Even on his own island, he was an outsider. His parents may have had a hut there to call home, but it lacked the warmth of a home. His parents didn’t love each other. They existed in a partnership, a mutual understanding that they couldn’t survive on their own so they might as well lean on each other. Argo was simply a mistake made one lonely drunken night. They weren’t shy about painting it that way, either.

He sighed. No, that was too harsh; they loved him, and they told him that. He may have been a drunken mistake, but it was a mistake they would make again and again. That’s what his mother had always told him. And her and his father had only grown closer to one another while raising Argo. It wasn’t that they disliked each other, but more that they were friends that tried to make it into something more. And when that didn’t work, they still stuck together.

The problem was that, while Argo’s parents loved him and cared for each other, they didn’t care for anyone else. Argo had to imagine that they had been wronged before in their pasts, and found each other down the road, later growing to trust each other.

Not that they ever talked about their pasts. But something about the story Argo had created almost justified their actions.

He didn’t have many belongings in his stall-turned-shelter, so packing them didn’t take long. A couple extra sets of clothing used especially in the winter to provide extra warmth against the cold. A tattered piece of fur that barely blocked the wind from chilling his bones. A sac he used to carry it all in on the odd chance he found a decent crew to join temporarily. He met a few traders over the years that needed a man or two to round out their crew. Most were grateful enough to have him; he didn’t complain, he kept to himself and did his work. He knew his place. He would sail with them until they returned to the Northern Markets, where he typically said his goodbyes and returned to his broken down shack.

Only once did he consider joining a trader’s crew permanently. The man was incredibly kind and paid Argo more than any other trader had even considered before. He treated his crew well and made sure the men were healthy and provided for. Trader Casimir was the first glimmer of hope he had since his banishment two years prior, and what a glorious change it was. The man had such incredible stories, and the gleam in his eyes was far from greedy like the other traders. He was still a trader, of course, and had the typical characteristics that accompanied such a lifestyle. But it was clear that he was a pure man behind the title, and there was a truth in his words that made the most trivial stories intriguing simply because the listener knew he meant every word. He was the first person since his parents that made him feel he belonged somewhere. He didn’t hesitate when Casimir offered to give him a permanent position on the crew. He told Argo he saw incredible potential in him, a smart mind that could achieve impossible feats if properly nurtured. Whether Casimir had truly believed those words or not, it had given Argo so much to look forward to; he had planned to visit one more island in the northwestern corner of the Barbaric Archipelago before heading much further south, somewhere winter didn’t exist and the sun was ever-present. Casimir had shown Argo maps of the places they were going, showing him where it was in relation to the map of where they were currently. And he hadn’t been exaggerating; it was an incredible distance away, further than Argo ever imagined land could exist, let alone that he could travel to. And of course, exploring an entirely new land seemed incredibly inviting to someone who had never felt accepted where he had been his whole life.

Argo picked up his sack of belongings and turned around, peering through the stalls at the Market center. His heart dropped as he remembered the last day he had seen the gracious trader.

Casimir had asked Argo to sort through all the goods on the boat and compile any books or scrolls into one area in preparation for the northwestern island. He said both the Chief and the Chief’s right hand were scholars of sorts, and were always interested in the educational material he had. He went into the Markets for one last round, taking a list with him of goods this next island typically asked him for. A large brawl broke out, and the crew split up without hesitation; half stayed back to guard the boat and goods, and half ran towards the commotion. Argo, unaware of what the big deal was since fights were a regular occurrence in the Markets, ran off with the group out of pure curiosity. As they approached, they could hear shouting voices demanding information of some kind. He remembered stopping in his tracks when they reached the center of the Markets. Of all the fights he had witnessed, he had never seen one so massive, nor had he seen anything like it since then. He remembered all the blood, the bodies strewn everywhere, the  _ limbs _ that no longer had bodies to attach to...

And Casimir, laying bloodied and broken in the middle of it all.

The crew had instantly jumped to his aid, but it was far too late. At this point, it was more of an attempt at controlling the crowd. The unnatural positioning of Casimir’s body, the stillness with which he laid in his own blood, the unsettling hole in the side of his skull, and the way his leg hung on by nothing more than a chunk of skin and torn muscle made it clear that he was long gone.

Argo was sixteen years old at the time.

He shivered and scrubbed the tears from his face. Maybe leaving would be good for him. Maybe this time he wouldn’t come back. This place never felt right to him after that day.

He started walking back to the meade hall where Chief Boyra was waiting for him as the sun began to set. He was nothing like Casimir. But something about him drew Argo in. He was so ready to reveal his struggles despite having never met Argo before. His own  _ parents  _ struggled to open up like that. Argo was never much of a believer of fate, so maybe that was what made the offer so interesting.

The man was waiting for Argo on the steps of the hall. As Argo crossed the remaining path to join his new chief, he got a better view of the man’s intimidating build. He was tall, bulky, and muscular, though those traits weren’t exactly uncommon to Vikings. His hair was dark with streaks of gray and a beard that matched. Although patches of his beard were thinner than others, and made Argo wonder if he had scars beneath it that prevented the hair from growing in. Physically, he wasn’t unusual.

But the way he held himself just seemed... Off? Different? Argo couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Boyra smiled as Argo approached him. “Ready to go, son?”

Argo had to catch himself for a moment. Only two men had ever called him “son,” before in his life: his father and Casimir. Hearing Boyra refer to him like that caught him off guard. “Uh, yes, sir.”

“Good, good.” Boyra gestured to the trees. “The boat is on the other side of the island. We arrived in a small vessel, but managed to pull together enough after that dragon attack to replace it with a decent ship. I hope you don’t mind a bit of a walk.”

“No sir,” Argo replied. Boyra nodded his head and started off.

Argo followed behind, trying to get a better feel for Boyra. He walked with a confident swagger, something that struck Argo as odd for a man that just lost everything, not only for him but for his people as well. But maybe that was just a defense mechanism.

Boyra turned his head slightly back. “If you have questions, son, don’t be shy.”

Argo thought for a minute. Suddenly he felt a little uneasy opening up like Boyra had. “Uh... Well, I am wonderin’ a bit what ye’ll have me doin’ for ye.”

Boyra nodded. “Fair question. Well, as I said before, I’ll be asking you to advise us on the area around here. What exactly that means depends on what we run into.” He considered for a moment, and then turned to look at Argo with a curious eye. “How good are you with map work?”

“What d’ye mean, sir?”

“Reading, writing, drawing, using... Anything related to mapping.”

“I don’ exactly have experience drawin’ ‘em but I can read ‘em well enough.”

He nodded slowly. “Would you be willing to give it a try? Drawing them, I mean.”

Argo’s eyes widened. “Uh... I mean, you are the Chief, sir. If ye ask me to, then try I will. But I can’ promise they’ll be any good.”

Boyra shrugged. “Give it a shot, practice it a bit. We don’t have maps for these islands, and the majority of the maps we did have were burned with the village.” He sighed sadly. “Not to mention my most trusted cartographer.”

Argo wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but he eventually settled with, “I’ll do me best.”

Boyra smiled down at him. “Then it’s settled. In the time you aren’t advising me, I ask that you diligently practice cartography.”

Argo smiled nervously back and nodded. Oh boy, what had he gotten himself into?

“Anything else?” Boyra asked.

“Um... Payment, sir?”

“Ah, yes,” Boyra sighed. “The official agreement terms. Well, I can arrange for you to have private quarters on the ship to study and sleep. I have been providing three meals daily for my people ever since we had been run off, and that will obviously include you as well. They may not be the most extravagant meals, but they’re enough. As for additional payment...” He scratched his chin, thinking carefully. “We are a bit short on money, so I can’t guarantee regular payment until we get into a more permanent settlement. But, I will pay you fairly for each advisement, and for any usable maps you create. I will also provide all the cartography materials you need so long as you let me know directly what those needs are. And I do understand that you are learning, and those needs will be higher than an experienced cartographer,” he added with a smile. “Any objections?”

Argo considered carefully. He was tempted to ask what any “additional payments” may look like, but he wasn’t much for material items. If he had clothes on his body and food in his belly, he could manage just fine. And Boyra was already offering meals and private living arrangements free of charge. All that just to play around with paper and charcoal and give him some history of the Archipelago. Which, thanks to being a squatter in the Markets for so many years, he had plenty of knowledge about.

Boyra chuckled next to him. “Take the night. Sleep on it. You don’t need to agree right away, son. It’s a big offer.”

Argo nodded slowly. “Thank ye, sir.”

They walked in silence for a while longer as night fell. It was growing harder to see through the ever darkening forest until they could hear voices growing louder ahead of them. As firelight began to sneak through the blackness, Boyra announced, “Ah, here we are.”

They made their way out of the trees to find four men around a fire, laughing and joking. They turned to look at Argo and Boyra, raising their arms in joking celebration and crying out happily.

“Ah, my four most trusted men!” Boyra greeted them with arms open wide. “No troubles to the tribe while I was away, I hope?”

“No sir,” one man replied, “everyone is still safe in the ship. Looks like you might’ve found us some friendly help, though.”

“I believe so, if he accepts the offer.” He ushered Argo forward and offered him a seat next to him, gesturing to each man in turn as he introduced them. “Son, this is Henrik, Ginnar, Dyntr, and Audvin. They are my council, if you will. They’ve helped this old Chief keep things under control, especially since the day we were run out. They oversee the day-to-day operations.”

“What’s your name, son?” Henrik asked, handing both him and Boyra a cup of some liquid that was warming in a pot over the fire.

“Argo,” he said, taking the cup and sniffing. The aroma was surprisingly pleasant.

“Warmed ale,” Henrik explained, smiling and shrugging. “I like to add some spices.”

Argo nodded and took a sip. He realized “warmed” was a gross understatement as the liquid burned his tongue, but the taste was nice.

“How old are you?” Audvin, the man who initially greeted them, asked. “You seem young.”

“22,” Argo said, clutching his cup to warm his hands. “23 by the end of the summer.”

“And what will you be doing for us, Argo?” Ginnar asked. “A strong body like yours could be of much use.”

“Argo is quite educated about this new land we’ve found ourselves in,” Boyra jumped in. “He will act as our advisor as we search for a new place for our broken tribe to settle permanently. I’d introduce you to the rest of the tribe,” he added, turning to Argo, “but they don’t much trust outsiders after the famine and dying crops and fire and all. They fear we were sabotaged by a neighboring tribe. They’re fragile right now; there would be an uprising on our hands if they found out we brought an outsider on board, much less agreed to take advice from him.” He turned back to the men, who were watching Argo intently. “Argo has also agreed to try his hand at mapping. If he’s any good, he may be able to replace our dear old cartographer that was lost in the village fire.”

Audvin sighed. “Dear Bolli. The man was a close friend of mine.” He bowed his head as Dyntr reached over to pat his shoulder.

Boyra stood. “Come, son. Bring your drink and I’ll show you to your private quarters. I’m sure you have a lot to consider, and a warm bed will do you well.”

They bid the men goodnight and left them to watch the dying fire. But when he turned to follow Boyra, all he could see was a massive ship all but blocking out the starry night sky.

No wonder they were short on money.

“Impressive, isn’t she?” Boyra smiled back at him.

Argo nodded slowly, staring in awe as he boarded the ship behind Boyra. Something about it struck Argo as familiar, but he couldn’t figure out what. But the one thing he did know is that this was not a trader’s ship.

Boyra led him straight to a room directly next to what Argo assumed was the Captain’s quarters. He turned to find Argo scanning the empty deck of the ship. “Everyone is safe below deck. They feel too exposed to sleep up here. Though I will ask that once they start their day, you stay in your quarters. At least until I can ease in the idea of integrating an outsider to them.”

Argo suppressed a scoff. That could get very old, very fast. But until he made any official decisions in the morning, he would play along. And so he entered the room Boyra indicated as his quarters, curious to see what his living space would look like.

He had to admit, it wasn’t bad at all. A nice bed sat in the back corner, already made and ready for someone to curl up under the thick fur blanket. On the opposite wall was a nicely built desk and chair adorned with a burning candle. A small window allowed some fresh air and light to sneak into the room without completely compromising protection from the elements. And the space was fairly large; even taking into account the furniture of the room, Argo could comfortably pace and move without having to worry about running into anything. Everything about the room was spacious, comfortable, and better than anything Argo had ever lived in before; and that including the home he lived in with his parents.

It seemed too good to be true.

“Will this do for you?” Boyra asked patiently from the doorway.

“Yes sir,” Argo quickly replied. “Yes, this is great.”

“Excellent. Get some sleep, think over the arrangement I offered. I’ll need a decision by morning, but we can discuss that over breakfast. I will ask that you remain in your quarters so as to not disturb my tribe. We will bring you your meal and escort you wherever you may need to go. Should you accept the offer, we will bring you cartography supplies and any maps we have on hand. Until then, enjoy the warm bed. Sleep well.”

With that, Boyra closed the door behind him with a soft  _ click. _

It had been a long time since Argo slept in a real bed, so he wasted no time dropping his belongings, extinguishing the candle, and crawling under the furs.

It was so tempting to give in. He would never have to worry about where he would get his next meal, he knew he would have a warm place to sleep, he had something productive to do to spend his time. He would be taken care of, he would have nothing to worry about. He could  _ survive _ for once. It would be so easy to say yes, to let this man provide him with the simplest necessities of life.

But being on this ship unsettled him. Something about it didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel he was in danger, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

Still... He had struggled to survive since he was 14, and even more so after he was banished at 15. Eight years spent starving, shivering, wondering why he bothered trying anymore as the guilt of the crimes he got away with ate at him from the inside out. But if he took this job, he would be helping a destroyed tribe find their place again. He would be doing some  _ good _ for once, instead of constantly leaving hurt and pain in his wake.

As he quickly drifted off, he couldn’t imagine the potential bad outweighing the good of this offer that had fallen into his hands.


	7. When History Repeats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my awesome beta as always. I hope you guys enjoy seeing a new character's POV!

Eirson fiddled with the small necklace between his fingers. It was a simple little token: a roughly cut gem the trader had called sapphire that Eirson himself had painstakingly attached to a black leather strap. He had recalled seeing the two colors painted on a bag Zephyr had with her when her tribe had arrived in Old Berk for the treaty resigning. The sapphire was a little darker than the blue on her bag, but it was the closest Eirson was able to find on short notice.

He swallowed hard against a nervous lump in his throat. Was it too much? He just wanted to offer an olive branch of sorts, something to prove to her that he really did just want to be on good terms with her. Eirson was very much aware that she was the exact opposite of him in nearly every way. She was so strong, so level-headed and determined, a truly natural leader. One with a rock-hard bite to her voice that demanded respect and recognition and searing blue eyes that both melted and froze his heart at the same time. Fiery red hair that matched her vehement personality, wrangled into a neat braid just like she always wrangled in her opinions to put on a professional front. She was still young, though, and she slipped at times, like when her voice exposed her excitement behind the composed face; perfectly mirrored by those wisps of hair that escaped from the rest, along with her bangs, perfectly framing her pale, freckled cheeks... Complimenting the soft pink of her lips, usually turned up in an inviting smile... The way her laugh seemed to flutter through the-

_ “Eirson!” _

Eirson snapped out of his internal monologue to see his father peering at him curiously. “Are ye with us, son?”

Eirson’s cheeks turned bright red. “Yeah, Dad, sorry.”

“Is that trinket for the Haddock girl?” he asked, and Eirson assumed it wasn’t the first time.

“Oh uh... Yeah, I figured it’d be a good peace offering or something between us.”

Alvin nodded, but apparently didn’t have anything else to say. Not that Eirson was complaining. He had been so preoccupied with Alvin and his health through this week-long sailing trip to New Berk that he hadn’t had time to stop and think about what he actually expected would happen when he gave this necklace to Zephyr. He knew what he  _ wanted _ to happen, but he was also smart enough to know that Zephyr would probably just laugh in his face and shove the gift back into his hands or something.

Eirson cringed. Oh boy. What was he  _ thinking? _

He looked out to the sea surrounding them as they slowly rose into the air; the platform on the pulley system Hiccup had apparently designed himself was surprisingly sturdy. Even full of boxes on top of boxes of goods, accompanied by a few large Vikings, the lift showed no signs of faltering. Which was a bigger relief the higher above the sea they climbed.

He took another look at his father, clutching a stack of boxes next to him. The week-long journey was not easy on him, nor was any other sailing expedition lately. The bags under his eyes only made the growing amount of gray in his hair more obvious the darker they became. His age seemed more and more obvious with each passing day, the years of fighting and chiefing finally catching up to him. Even his skin seemed more gray lately.

Alvin turned to find Eirson studying him, to which Eirson quickly dropped his gaze. He cleared his throat. “So, uh, Dad, I know that-”

“What d’ye think of the girl, exactly?” Alvin asked quietly, still staring Eirson down with slightly narrowed eyes.

Eirson blinked. “Uh... You mean Zephyr?” He swallowed, suddenly nervous.

“Yes, Zephyr. What d’ye think of her?”

“Well... Uh...”  _ She’s beautiful, she’s incredibly strong, she’ll be a better Chief than I ever could hope to be... _ “She’s really smart.”

Alvin didn’t react. He simply continued to stare Eirson down.

But just as Eirson was about to say something out of sheer discomfort, Alvin said, “Ye seem like ye want to impress her.”

_ That’s one way to put it. _ “She’s an ally. I just want her to know that I hope to continue that relation- Uh, partnership. You know, for our tribes.”

Eirson caught Alvin’s eyes somehow narrow even more while still surveying him.  _ Gods, can’t this lift go any faster?! _

“Listen, Dad, this really isn’t what you-”

“Stop.”

“Yessir.” Eirson closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. The silence continued for a painfully long time, but Eirson was afraid to open his stupid mouth again.

“I know I don’t talk about yer mother much,” Alvin started, concerningly quiet.

Eirson didn’t move. He knew better. His father never talked about his mother, and whenever he did bring himself to talk about her, Eirson knew well enough to let him speak. It was the only time he knew his father was vulnerable enough to potentially scare him out of speaking.

Alvin paused for a moment, making Eirson worry that he talked himself out of whatever he was about to say. But to Eirson’s relief, he finally continued. “She was a lot like you. Gentle and kind and open to the world. But she ain’t afraid to put her foot down, oh no.” Alvin chuckled fondly. “Ah, I barely noticed her at first. She was too soft for yer old man. But I learned she was persistent. She never let me outta her sight, no, she didn’t.” Eirson could see tears starting to well up in Alvin’s eyes and looked down, as if hoping to give Alvin some privacy.

But then the lift cleared the edge of the island, and suddenly Alvin cleared his throat and bellowed, “Alright, get moving! Let’s unload so we can get the next load moving!”

Eirson huffed but tried not to let his disappointment show as they unloaded the lift and sent it back down. Hiccup arrived just as they were finishing up, at which point Eirson was convinced the chance to hear what his father was going to say had completely passed.

“Alvin! Eirson! we were worried you wouldn’t make it,” Hiccup said, slightly winded. “I’m sorry, we’re still arranging the Great Hall, I must have missed the announcement of your ship approaching.”

“Not to worry, me boy,” Alvin said. “Ye got plenty to worry about today.”

“Well, you’ll be staying with my mom tonight, as usual. She should have plenty of space for everyone in the guest accommodations. My men can help with the rest of the unloading, go get yourselves settled. Do you remember where those are?” he asked Alvin.

“We’ll make our way up there, you just finish up what ye need to.” Alvin motioned for Eirson to follow him and waved Hiccup off, who wasted no time running off again.

“Dad, you can go ahead, I can help out here,” Eirson offered.

“Nah, just grab our things and follow me.” Alvin walked off before Eirson had a chance to object.

“Alright then,” he muttered to himself, sifting through the boxes and grabbing the bag of their personal belongings. He swung it over his shoulder and started to run after Alvin.

But before he got very far, he heard two grumbling Vikings walking roughly in the same direction. Normally, he wouldn’t pay them any attention; grumbling Vikings weren’t exactly rare. But the mention of Zephyr’s name caught his attention.

He slowed enough that he could follow them, staying only as close as he needed to in order to hear what they were saying, but keeping an eye on the direction his father was walking.

“I ain’t sayin’ he can’t celebrate his kids’ birthdays, but he’s got  _ other tribes _ sailing in to join us,” one of the two men continued his rant. “Chief's daughter or not, just doesn’t seem right. You think they’re looking for a suitor?”

“Don’t know,” the other said. “Which tribes are coming?”

“The Outcast ship just docked, and that sister of the Berserker chief brought a crew in yesterday.” The first man shook his head. “But even if they did invite suitors, they’re making a bigger deal out of it than that. Did you see everything going into the Great Hall? It’s like a celebration fit for a chief!”

The second man glanced around. “You don’t think...”

“Think what?”

“You don’t think  _ she’s _ going to be the next chief, do you?”

The first man burst out laughing, causing Eirson’s face to burst with fiery, angry heat. “Oh, please,  _ her? _ That Haddock boy has had some crazy ideas, but even  _ he _ couldn’t be that insane. He’s got two perfectly good sons to pass the tribe down to!”

“Nuffink is only a few years younger than her,” the second man admitted. “And Spero is only a few years younger than him. I guess Hiccup isn’t  _ that _ old either, all things considered...”

“Exactly! So why waste a perfectly good tribe on some girl? Give it to the oldest son like every other chief does without second thought. It’s  _ tradition _ , it  _ works _ . No sense changing it and risking total destruction. Our tribe may be on the rise, but we’re still not far from disappearing. And that Nuffink boy has such potential. Responsible, loyal, level-headed. The things that make a real chief.”

“Would it really be that bad?” the second man said, a little skeptical of his acquaintance’s words. Eirson immediately liked him a little better.

“To be led by a  _ woman? _ You tell me!”

“Not so loud,” the second man warned. “I mean, the Chief’s wife is the general, she does a great job.”

“Well, sure, she has Haddock telling her what to do and Jorgenson to keep an eye on her,” the first man continued, but he lowered his voice and glanced around. “Can you imagine what it would look like with her leading armed Vikings alone?” The first man shook his head.  _ “Especially _ with how often she’s carrying more children for him. The mood swings from that alone could level the entire village in an instant.”

“Well... She’s always fought by Hiccup’s side, and she is a pretty terrifying warrior.”

The first man scoffed. “Sure, but that’s...” He looked around again and dropped his voice more, forcing Eirson to come closer in order to hear. “That’s even worse. You realize how much strength she has? Can you imagine if she gets mad at  _ us? _ As in the  _ village?” _

The second man didn’t say anything, and Eirson couldn’t tell his reaction from behind. He tried to continue to quietly follow behind them, but then a speckled white gyrfalcon circled above them, screeching and pulling both men’s attention. The bird gracefully sailed down in a spiral before landing on Eirson’s shoulder. The men suddenly realized someone was within earshot behind them. Eirson was going to hold his tongue, be a good boy and follow the trail to meet back up with his father.

But seeing the first man’s cocky face sort of ruined that plan.

“Gentlemen,” Eirson greeted them, nodding his head and dropping the bag. The falcon flew off his shoulder and found a perch in a nearby tree, apparently awaiting to watch the show. “My name is Eirson, son of Alvin the Treacherous, ally to the Haddock family, and heir to the Outcast Tribe chiefdom. Lovely island you have here.”

Both men’s jaws dropped.

Eirson didn’t care how much of an ass he was being, this was just too damn fun. “You see, I’m a bit lost. I must have taken a wrong turn, silly me. Would you kindly point me in the direction of the guest housing run by Valka?”

The second man nervously pointed to Eirson’s left. “Uh, just up the hill, sir. It’s a fairly large building just behind the Chief’s residence. It’s hidden a bit behind the trees but once you get up there you can’t miss it.”

Eirson held out his hand, which the second man absentmindedly shook. “Thank you, sir! Your help is much appreciated. Have a wonderful day, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the festivities planned for tonight!” He turned to the first man, locking eyes with him. The man was quite a bit shorter than Eirson was, he now realized as he looked down at him. “As for you, sir, I couldn’t help but notice you had some doubts about the Chief’s eldest daughter?”

The man visibly swallowed. “Uh... Well, I just-”

“I think you may be misunderstanding the vital role of the Haddock women in your tribe’s society,” Eirson cut him off. “Namely, the fact that your wonderful Chieftess is the most skilled fighter and strategist of the entire council. On top of that, I do believe that she herself was the one that taught both the Chief and Snotlout Jorgenson everything they know in regards to battle and wartime skills. Or am I mistaken?” He allowed a small opening for the first man to respond.

The man blinked nervously. “Well, no, you’re right, she absolutely is, but-”

“So one could say,” Eirson continued on, not caring to hear any more of the man’s opinions, “that your dear Zephyr Haddock has not only the most intelligent general in the Archipelago, but also the most skilled inventor and blacksmith ever seen, raising her; teaching her everything they know, passing their legendary talent to her so that she may continue their legacies, and showing her how exactly it is that they saved this tribe from extinction with their revolutionary ideas.”

Eirson could see the sweat beading on the man’s forehead. “Th-that’s a good point. I just think-”

“I am so glad to hear you agree,” Eirson said with a teasing smile. “And I sure do hope that your mind isn’t swayed back to your original thoughts, or I fear I will have to warn Hiccup that some of his people doubt his ability to make the right decisions for his tribe. And he has certainly proved his abilities as a chief to make that an absolutely  _ absurd  _ stance to make, wouldn’t you agree?” he added with a chuckle and a threatening smile.

“Yessir,” the first man choked. “I just, uh, I’m afraid he may be a little... Biased.”

Eirson scoffed sarcastically. “Biased! Oh, you mean like  _ you _ seem to be? At least Hiccup is biased in favor of his tribe. You, sir, are only biased against women. Which is uncomfortably close to saying you’re biased against half of your own tribe. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Uh... Well, that does sound about right I guess, but-”

“Good! I’m glad we were able to find some common ground.” Eirson threw his sack back over his shoulder, making sure it made an impressive  _ thwack _ against his back as he did, and smiled at the men. “Enjoy the pleasant weather, and do try to pull the stick out of your ass before you make your way to the celebration tonight.”

He turned on his heels before his anger led him to say anything else and started his way up the hill. He heard the forceful beat of large wings taking off nearby, closely followed by the white gyrfalcon perching carefully on his shoulder again, nipping gently at his hair.

“Yeah, thanks a lot, Aurboda. If Dad gets pissed at me for this, I’m blaming you.”

Aurboda squawked and nipped at his tunic this time.

Eirson sighed and reached into the pocket in his fur vest, pulling out a piece of rabbit meat. “I know, I know, you still did a good job with your training. Here you go.” He tossed the meat in the air, which Aurboda caught with ease. “Good girl, Bodi. Though I think we need to start working on your timing.”

The guest hut really wasn’t hard to find; once Eirson reached the top of the hill, he was shocked at the sheer size of it. Situated about fifty paces behind the Chief’s personal home, it filled an entire clearing and seemed high enough to hold three rows of rooms stacked on top of each other. The planning alone that must have gone into building the structure made Eirson’s head spin, not to mention the amount of materials they must have needed to gather.

An older woman who appeared to be about the same age as Alvin stepped out of what he assumed was the front door of the building. “There you are! You must be Eirson. Yer father was worried you’d gotten lost.”

“You could say that,” Eirson muttered, not necessarily meaning for her to hear it. “You must be Valka.”

“That I am.” She waved him over and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he approached, guiding him inside. “Let’s get you settled in, I have to help my dear granddaughter get ready for her big night shortly. Normally I’d send you to the Great Hall for a hot meal but there’s too much preparation going on in there. But Astrid’s parents are inside the main room cooking something up for you and your tribe.”

She opened the door to reveal a large room with a ceiling that stretched to the sky, filled with the inviting scent of roasting meat and vegetables. An older man and woman waved to him from across the room.

“That’s Vidar and Runa Hofferson,” Valka introduced, ushering Eirson on to a long room lined with doors directly to their right. “They do the cooking for the village, and trust me, they do a much better job than I ever could.” Valka smiled and chuckled to herself. She pointed to a door not far from the entrance. “This is your father’s room, and your’s is right next to it. I have to help Zephyr, but let Runa know if you need anything. And don’t eat too much, there’ll be plenty more food at tonight’s banquet.” She patted him on the back and disappeared into the main room and out the door.

Still trying to process everything she had just said, he pushed open the door to his father’s room. Alvin was sitting in a chair in one corner as if patiently waiting for his arrival,

“Ah, there ye are!”

“Hey Dad,” Eirson huffed, throwing the bag down on the bed.

Alvin chuckled. “I only lost ye for a few minutes, what coulda pissed ye off that quick?”

“I’m fine,” Eirson said, opening the bag and sifting through for his own things.

“Put the bag down and tell yer old man what’s botherin’ yah, would ye?”

He sighed. “It’s really not a big deal.”

“Mhm,” Alvin hummed. “That why yer throwing things around and huffing like a dragon?”

Eirson pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’d really rather just leave it, thank you.” He picked up his things and started for the door.

But Alvin wasn’t having it. “Shut the damn door and get it off yer chest, ye hear me?”

Eirson took a deep breath, contemplated walking out anyway, decided that would be useless, and shut the door. He spun around and tossed his things back on the bed. “Did you hear what some of these people are saying about Zephyr? About having a woman as their chief?”

“Chieftess,” Alvin corrected unhelpfully.

_ “Chieftess, _ whatever! Did you hear what they’re saying about her? That she would never be able to handle it, that she’s too moody and emotional just because she’s a girl, that it’s pointless to  _ ‘waste a perfectly good tribe on a girl’? _ What kind of  _ bullshit _ is that?!”

Alvin nodded thoughtfully. “Ye seem very protective of her.”

_ “‘Protective’?! _ She doesn’t need  _ protecting! _ She’s perfectly capable of protecting herself, more so than most men, I’d bet! She could crush them in a heartbeat!”

“So why are ye so worried?”

“I’m not!”

Alvin nodded again. “So then what’s the problem?”

“It’s, it’s... It’s just ridiculous! Just because she’s a girl, doesn’t mean she’s incompetent!” Eirson realized he had begun furiously pacing the room.

“Sure, sure... But why has that got ye so upset?”

“Because... Because... Because they should respect her! She’ll be a damn good chief, she has potential to make this tribe better than ever before, to help it continue to grow and strengthen, and they’re too blinded to see that because all they see is her  _ damn breasts and childbearing hips!” _

Alvin’s eyebrows shot up as he followed Eirson’s pacing path with his eyes. “Son, why is this so important to you?”

_ “BECAUSE IT’S ZEPHYR!” _

Alvin was quiet for once, letting Eirson catch his breath now that he was finally standing in one place, albeit panting in anger and frustration.

“Sit down, son,” Alvin requested quietly, motioning to the bed with his head.

Eirson, a little embarrassed now at his meltdown, followed orders and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and running his fingers through his hair.

Alvin gave him a moment to settle down before speaking again. “You’ve got a lot of passion for this girl.”

Eirson groaned. “Dad, please, not this ag-”

“Shut up and listen.”

“Yessir,” Eirson muttered.

After a beat of silence Alvin continued. “I ain’t saying it’s a bad thing. I just... She’s very different from you.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Eirson asked a little harshly.

“Nothing at all,” Alvin admitted. “Yer mum and me were the same way.” Alvin chuckled. “Hel, if you’re a lot like yer mother, Zephyr is quite a bit like me. Less treacherous, of course, but I’d wager just as stubborn.”

Eirson chuckled a little to himself, remembering the last time he actually spoke to Zephyr.  _ Stubborn  _ may have been an understatement.

“Yer mum and me sent letters to each other for a year before I gave in. And I didn’t even respond to the first few letters, she just kept sending ‘em.” He chuckled again. “Ah, like I said earlier, she was persistent.” He sighed, looking off with a pleasant smile as if he were watching those past days in his mind. After a moment he shook his head. “Point is, sometimes having someone so different from you brings out the good parts in yeh. But... Not everyone wants that kind of person.”

Eirson scrubbed his face with the heels of his hands and sat up. “You think I want a lot more out of her than she wants out of me,” he summarized.

“That ain’t what I’m saying,” Alvin gruffly corrected. “I’m saying... I’m saying I want you to be prepared, just in case. And that even if she does want more outta yeh than she lets on right now, that it ain’t gonna be easy for her to give into it.”

Eirson sighed and nodded slightly.

The chair creaked, and Eirson looked up to see his father leaning in closer to him. “She is quite the spitfire, though, ain’t she?”

Eirson groaned, more jokingly this time, and stood. “Dad!”

“What! She’d be a good catch!”

“Dad! Come on!” Eirson balled up his belongings in his arms and started for the door again, though he couldn’t help smiling now. “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Aw, come on, son! Tell me more about her! I know you had a nice chunk of time with her back on Old Berk!”

_ “Goodnight, Dad!” _ Eirson shut the door, smiling and shaking his head. He could still hear his father cackling in his room through the walls by the time he slipped under the furs of his own bed.

He closed his eyes, but despite how exhausted he was, he just couldn’t fall asleep. Alvin wasn’t wrong; Eirson obviously wanted more out of his partnership with Zephyr than she did. Not that it was hard. All Eirson asked was to be friends, and even  _ that _ was too much for her.

But he knew there was so much more to her than that, something else going on deep down that she wouldn’t talk about. There just had to be. He remembered how she ran off into the trees after the resigning, how she looked so overwhelmed and just bolted like a falcon on the run. It had taken a bit to find her after that, but once he did, she looked so... So  _ terrified _ , it was the only way Eirson could think to describe it. Like she was running from something, like something was actively running after her with the intent to kill. Worse than that, it was like she was physically present in the space around her, but she wasn’t  _ there _ , she wasn’t actually aware of what was going on around her. He could still see her barreling out of control straight towards the cliff, far too fast to stop herself from running right past the dropoff. He didn’t even think, he just ran faster somehow and grabbed a nearby branch. He remembered very clearly that he barely got his arm around her before it was too late.

And when he pulled her back, when he tried to steady her and calm her down, her withering face made his heart break instantly. He could still see tear tracks glistening in the dimming sunlight. There had been tiny scratches across one of her cheeks that made him wonder if she ran into a branch. Her braid had fallen out a little too, and the loose locks of hair were blowing in the wind across her face.

But her eyes had made his blood run cold. He could see a pain and fear and desperation in them that he had never seen before, and it took everything in him not to wrap her in his arms and promise to keep her safe. He didn’t even know what he would be saving her from, but at the time, it didn’t matter. He would have done anything to make that look in her eyes go away. And yet she managed to stand her ground, to insist she was fine and that nothing was wrong. That she didn’t need anyone taking care of her, especially some boy she just met only hours earlier. No matter how much her body shook, or how much her voice broke, or how much her legs swayed with the effort of holding her body up... She refused to admit weakness. And that alone was enough strength to amaze Eirson.

It still wasn’t enough to convince him she was truly alright. Not with the way she had shuffled away or slumped down against that tree. She looked so vulnerable, and even worse, she looked like she  _ knew _ she was vulnerable, and yet refused to admit it. Like she had to appear strong, no matter how weak she felt. And after hearing those men talk about her earlier today, he suddenly wasn’t surprised.

He wondered if they knew how much stress they were putting on her. He wondered if they even cared that they were forcing a barely fourteen-year-old girl to mature beyond her years and deny herself a little bit of help just so she could look strong enough to lead a tribe. Sure, Eirson had his opposers too, but at least none of them questioned his  _ ability _ to lead; they were only standing on a matter of principle. But these people would quite literally question every choice Zephyr would make as a chief, just because she was a woman at the helm of the ship. Whether she made the same choice a man would have made or not, they would still doubt her competence. So  _ of course _ she would force herself to look strong and stand on her own two feet and deny assistance from anyone or anything in every aspect of her life. Because even if she showed a glint of weakness, her opposers would use that against her in an instant. It wasn’t fair!

He sighed and rolled over, beating the lumps out of his pillow in frustration. It may not be fair, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Hel, thanks to people like the guy he confronted earlier, he couldn’t even help her cope in private; she wouldn’t let him get that close to her. Even if he did manage to change the mind of every doubting asshole in New Berk, it still wouldn’t matter. Because she would still always have to remain on edge, ten steps ahead of the rest. So what was the point?

He sat up, thoroughly frustrated again and finally admitting he was not getting any sleep before he had to leave for the night’s festivities. He pulled his knees towards his chest, laying his head in his arms on top of them and sighing heavily.

His father had said his mother sent him letters for months before he even responded to them. And back on the lift he said he always thought she was too soft for him, but that he was persistent.

Eirson didn’t know what Alvin was like before he met Eira, but Keldon always said he became a more open and considerate man after he returned with his infant son. Keldon said he believed whatever happened between him and Eira changed him for the better, and that it was never more clear that Alvin loved her with everything in his heart. And yet in the beginning he insisted she was all wrong for him.

Maybe Zephyr and Eirson wouldn’t end up in love, marrying each other and starting a family later in life. But maybe if Eirson was persistent enough, he could at least convince her that showing some vulnerability to someone you trust, behind closed doors if needed, was okay sometimes. Maybe he could even become that person she could be vulnerable with.

He looked up to see his formalwear balled up and carelessly thrown on the chair in the corner of his room. If he was ever going to get to that point, he had to show he could be there for her. And tonight was about to be Ragnarok realized. She would need that support, whether she wanted it from Eirson directly or not. He would have to find a way to make the night a little easier for her. But he couldn’t do that while sitting and sulking in his room.

Shaking off the exhaustion from the long sail, he slid out of bed and changed his clothes. They didn’t have much time before they had to start making their way to the Great Hall, and by the time he was ready his father was already in the main room with Vidar and Runa, sitting in front of an empty plate. Eirson politely accepted a small portion for himself, apologizing that he wasn’t ready sooner. He ate what he could, stepped back so Runa could tidy up a bit, and then they left for the celebration.

As they merged into the crowd, Eirson was disappointed to hear a myriad of conversations quite similar to the one he overhead earlier in the day. Far too many people were wondering what the big deal was, what merited a celebration of this size, pondering which  _ son _ the chief will choose as his successor. Eirson could feel his stomach drop further and further which each new voice he heard. This really was not going to be a good night.

Granted, things started smoothly enough. Food was served, ale was poured, singing and dancing began much quicker than Eirson had anticipated. His eyes immediately found Zephyr sitting at the head table, directly to Hiccup’s left. Her hair was down for a change, though Eirson could see three small braids sweeping from either side of her face back to the center of her head whenever she turned. She wore a dress colored black and light blue, just like the colors Eirson had remembered seeing on her bag. She was laughing with her family, her smile blinding Eirson and demanding his attention all at the same time.  _ Gods, _ she was beautiful; he couldn’t stop staring at her, even when he knew she caught him at least twice. He couldn’t help but notice the second time she tried to hide a small smile. But then Hiccup stood and called for everyone’s attention, and Eirson held his breath in anticipation.

The Hall quited fairly quickly, and Hiccup wasted no time continuing on before he lost their attention again. “New Berk and our honored guests! We have much to celebrate tonight. Our tribe has gained numbers instead of losing them for the eleventh year in a row. We’ve seen peace for the last sixteen years. Our allies have pledged to continue their faithful assistance to us for another year, and no doubt for even more years to come afterwards. It has been a very prosperous year for us. And of course, all of these things are incredibly important, and deserve to be celebrated. But tonight, we have a few more things to celebrate beyond those accomplishments.

“My oldest son, Nuffink Haddock, though he has been a bit of trouble in the past,” - a chuckle washed across the crowd, and Nuffink blushed ruefully from his seat next to Zephyr - “he has decided to put his talents to something a bit more practical, and become an apprentice to Tuffnut Thorston in addition to his work in the forge.” Hiccup turned to look at Astrid directly to his right, who was holding a very quiet Willow. “My beautiful, incredible wife,” he said, taking her hand and leaning over to kiss it, “has gifted me with four amazing children. And will be blessing me with a fifth this coming winter.”

The crowd cheered this time, intermixed with some whistling and teasing glances from many of the older men and women in the room. Astrid and Hiccup both simply laughed them off. “I know, I know, it’s a big surprise!” Hiccup joked, earning more laughter from the crowd.

“But lastly,” he said, quieting the room down, “and certainly not least.. Zephyr, would you stand please?”

Eirson barely caught the deep breath she took to steel herself as she stood, stepping in front of her father when he opened his arm to her. He squeezed her shoulders and looked back out to the crowd. “I know there has been a lot of speculation and talk making its way around the tribe, and tonight I’d like to put a stop to it. I know something like this is typically announced at a child’s coming-of-age, but since we have had our minds made up for a long time now, it seems a little silly to wait any longer.”

Every Viking in the room stilled.

“And so tonight, we are making the official announcement anyway. Which brings us to what is probably the main reason we are celebrating tonight.” He squeezed her shoulders one more time, and Eirson thought he saw him lean over slightly to kiss the crown of her head. But then he took a step back, and Zephyr straightened and lifted her chin. Eirson’s heart ached seeing how strong she was, how she looked so ready to take whatever abuse that was about to come her way. He wanted so badly to run up there and step in front of her, to dare anyone to question the words that he knew were coming next.

But he couldn’t do that. All he could do was sit back and watch what was about to happen.

Hiccup took a deep breath. “New Berk and our honored allies and guests, I present to you: Zephyr Stoick Haddock, Firstborn to Hiccup Horrendous III and Astrid Haddock, Heir to the Chiefdom of New Berk.”

Of all the things Eirson anticipated, he never would have expected what happened next.

The entire hall fell deadly silent.


	8. But The Future Isn't Certain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***TW: anxiety, panic attack***

Zephyr stared down at the elegant gown draped over her bed. It was a beautiful light blue dress with a thick black hem along the bottom. The blue ended above her bust, and a black fabric continued in a wide V-shape that left her shoulders mostly bare. A blue fabric that matched the body of the dress bound her upper arms, much like the leather straps she usually wore around them. The black sleeves billowed out from her elbows down. Another piece of black fabric sat next to the dress, along with a gold pendant with three swirls to represent the west wind for which she was named - the seal that would represent her chiefdom. The black belt would hang loosely around her waist, and the pendent would be used to hide the tie of the belt.

It truly was a beautiful gown. She had quickly chosen the light blue and black as her signature colors. The black to represent Toothless, and the blue to represent Stormfly, holding their memories close and alive to those who knew the significance. Her father had designed the seal himself, and she obviously loved it. Though she doubted her father saw the symbolism in it that she saw; with the dragons’ home to the west, she would be the west wind supporting their wings , keeping them safe.

Everything in her life had a purpose. She had two civilizations she would protect with her life.

A gentle knock on her door slightly startled her. “Coming along alright?” her grandmother asked, peeking her head in.

Zephyr cleared her throat. “Uh, yeah, I’m okay.”

Valka invited herself in with a warm smile. “Not exactly what I asked, but that only makes me more concerned.  _ Are  _ you alright?”

Zephyr bit her lip. “I think so.”

Valka crossed the room and moved the dress carefully before sitting on Zephyr’s bed, patting the space next to her. “Come. I’ll do your hair.”

Zephyr quietly obliged, sitting beside her grandmother. Valka turned and separated a small section on the left side of her head next to her face and began to braid. “How about something simple for tonight, yes?”

Zephyr nodded, still distracted by her thoughts.

Valka finished the first braid in silence, and then sectioned off another small lock of hair below the root of the first. As she began the second braid, she quietly mused. “I know your mother usually prefers to do the braiding, but she’s a tad busy in the Great Hall.”

Zephyr quietly chuckled. “She knows it’s her party too, right?”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Valka said, finishing off the second braid and starting a third below it. “Why do you think she’s there for the preparations? She wants to make sure it’s focused more on  _ you _ than  _ her.” _

The pair quietly laughed before falling into silence. Valka tied off the third braid, stood, and moved to sit on Zephyr’s opposite side. She began another braid in line with the first. “Are you nervous?” she asked gently.

Zephyr bit her lip again. “Maybe a little.”

Valka nodded. “You’re allowed to be. It’s a big day.”

Well  _ that _ was an understatement if Zephyr ever heard one.

Valka continued braiding in silence. She finished the three braids on Zephyr’s right side and then moved again to sit behind her. As she pulled the top two braids back, Zephyr couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “Grandma?”

“Yes, love?”

Zephyr took a deep breath. “Do you... Do you think I can do it?”

Valka was silent for a moment, braiding some more and then pulling the second braids back behind Zephyr’s head. Zephyr tried to be patient, but the silence was making her more stressed.

Valka didn’t speak until she had pulled back the last two braids and had started braiding again. “I know you hear it a lot, but you remind a lot of people of your grandfather.”

Zephyr held back a sigh. That wasn’t exactly the response she was looking for.

But Valka continued. “But I’m the only one who knew him the way I did. As a husband. As a father to a new infant boy who barely survived. As a man who balanced all of that while trying to be a good Chief. Something like that takes a lot of compassion, determination, and strength.”

Zephyr could feel that she had tied off the final braid and let it fall down Zephyr’s back. She ran her fingers through Zephyr’s hair to smooth it out as she continued to talk. “Everyone else thinks you look like him. But I see so much more than that.” Valka sat beside Zephyr, gently pulling her chin to make Zephyr look at her. Zephyr met her grandmother’s eyes as she laid her hand against Zephyr’s cheek. “You may not have led your tribe into a battle where all the odds were stacked against you, but I’ve seen you defend and fight for Nuffink against boys twice your size. You may not have given birth to a son that you weren’t sure would make it to see the next full moon, but you were there to help as much as you could when Nuffink was early and when Spero was sick. And you may not have experienced balancing family needs and chiefing needs through famine and sickness and war, but you have watched your parents care for their people while caring for you and your siblings with all of their heart. And you have cared for them through all of that as well. And you’ve done all of that before you turned ten!” Valka’s smile was wide and bright, but it softened slightly as tears welled in her eyes. “You have already shown that you have the spirit of a great chief in you. Those other experiences will come in time, yes, but you have already proven yourself time and time again. And we’ve all seen it; your father, your mother, Gobber, myself, all of your uncles and your aunt... That is why we all believe in you so much.” She looked down, dropping her hand chuckling. “The village may think you inherited Stoick’s  _ hamr _ , but I’ve always known you were blessed with his  _ hugr _ as well.”

Zephyr’s brows pinched together slightly. She didn’t recognize those words. She was just about to ask Valka what she meant when they heard a horn blow. “Oh dear, I better go see that they’re about finished. That would be the call to gather at the Great Hall. Will you be alright to dress yourself, dear?”

She sighed quietly. The question would have to wait. She smiled instead. “Yes, Grandma, I’ll be fine.”

Valka smiled and lifted Zephyr’s chin gently, kissing her forehead. “I know you will,” she said, smiling and tapping Zephyr’s nose. “Take your time, my love. Your father will wait until you arrive before he makes any announcements.” And with that, she stood and glided out the door.

Zephyr huffed as her nerves began to get the best of her again. She looked over to her Chiefly formal gown. After tonight, there would be no turning back. Once the words left her father’s mouth, their suspicions about the tribe’s attitude towards a female chief would either be proven wrong or finally confirmed. And that would only be the beginning.

It didn’t take her long to change into her formal gown, tie on her belt and slip her pendant over it. She took a deep breath and turned, catching a glimpse of herself in the reflecting glass her father had made for her.

She almost didn’t recognize herself. She never wore her hair down, which was part of it. She reached up to run her fingers through the loose locks, as if she needed confirmation that this was in fact her own reflection. It wasn’t the first time she had worn the gown; she had to try it on for the final adjustments just last week. But it still didn’t feel like  _ herself _ on the other side of the glass. She definitely looked like a Chieftess; but she didn’t feel like one. Not at all. She felt like a frightened little kid dressing up in her mother’s fancy clothes.

Her hands balled into fists at her side as she dropped her head and squeezed her eyes shut. No. No, she couldn’t let herself feel that way. She had to be strong, she had to show her unwavering faith to her tribe.

“I can do this, I can do this...” She took a deep breath and set her jaw, hardened her eyes, and pulled her shoulders back. She snapped her eyes open and faced her reflection again.

The girl facing her looked... Better. More determined, at least. More... More solid. But she still looked like a  _ girl, _ like a child playing pretend.

She shook her head and sighed in frustration, barreling through her bedroom door and down the stairs. She had to start making her way to the Great Hall if she didn’t want to be noticeably late. Tonight would be hard enough without handing the tribe something to hold over her head on a silver platter. Still, she didn’t necessarily want to mingle in with the crowd of people making their way into the Hall. So she snuck out the back door of her home and took the long way around, aiming for one of the many caves that led into the back rooms of the Hall.

Maybe she was being too hard on herself. Maybe she  _ did _ look like a real chieftess, and she was just her own biggest critic.

She scoffed at herself. Yeah, right. As if she was harder on herself than anyone else on New Berk would be after tonight.

No, that was  _ too _ harsh; she would have people standing behind her. Her parents, for instance. Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, Fishlegs... Grandma Valka, Grammie Runa, Grampie Vidar, Grandpappi Gobber... Her siblings, of course. All the other children younger than her.

But while their village had grown significantly since the Great Move, the old still outnumbered the young. And  _ that _ was the group she was most concerned about.

She wasn’t making any of this up, either. As she grew older, and especially once Nuffink was old enough that the village no longer worried he would die in infancy, all of the oldest members of the tribe would tell her how she was such a helpful girl, a strong and determined girl, a girl who looked after her brother like a mother looks after her children. And how those were such great qualities to see in the sister of the next chief.

_ The sister of the next chief. _

Not once did they consider her to be a valid option. Even the younger kids assumed Nuffink would take Hiccup’s place until Nuffink himself corrected them.

She chuckled halfheartedly to herself. She remembered that day clearly. Nuffink was 8 years old, still shy when it came to interacting with the other kids because of the trouble he had learning to speak. Another boy said, “Zephyr can’t be chief! She’s a girl!”

Nuffink had stood up and towered over him. He has stomped his foot and told him that, yes,  _ actually, _ she can be a chief, and she’d be the best chief ever seen before! That she would take care of everybody, and she would be the smartest, nicest, bestest chief in all of history!

She sighed. He was definitely her biggest fan, and she would be forever grateful to have such a supportive brother.

It’s not that Nuffink  _ couldn’t _ be chief. He was smart, he had a lot of potential and he had shown that he could be extremely dedicated to anything he was passionate about. But Nuffink was too much of a free spirit. If her father had the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon, then Zephyr inherited the chief’s heart; Nuffink was purely the dragon’s soul. Zephyr couldn’t imagine him being chained down to one place his whole life, nor would she force that upon him. An ambassador for the tribe, maybe, but at least then he could travel and roam and be  _ mostly _ free. But confined to a throne? No one would want that.

She looked up to find the cave entrance just ahead of her.

Well, here goes nothing.

She pushed back the vines that hung lazily over the entrance and stepped into the flickering firelight of the occasional torches. It wasn’t a terribly long tunnel, which was good, because she was sure most of the village would be in the Great Hall by now.

Awaiting her arrival as the guest of honor.

Ready to scrutinize and over-analyze every move she has made or will ever make from this point on, constantly passing judgement on her competence in running the village.

She felt her chest squeezing around her lungs, forcing the air out of them and preventing new breath from entering-

“No,” she said aloud, taking a step back as if she could physically distance herself from the things she was feeling. She suddenly remembered that feeling she had on Old Berk, the one that made her sprint off into the woods, the panic and the fear and the helplessness. “No, not today,  _ please _ not today...”

She hated how her words sounded like begging. How sad, how  _ weak _ she sounded. This was exactly the kind of thing that would make her an unfit chief-

“No! No, not today! No!”

Nothing but a frightened little girl with no experience-

“Stop!”

No support-

_ “Stop!” _

Her tribe didn’t even  _ want _ her-

_ “STOP! JUST STOP” _

Her voice echoed down the rock walls, slowly fading until the sound of her heavy breathing was the only noise left. She realized she was clutching her head and slowly untangled her fingers from her hair. She looked around the darkness of the cave as she lowered her shaking hands. Nothing was out of place; everything was solidly peaceful as before, save the happy flickering of the dancing flames.

She took a deep breath - a little strained, but doable - and closed her eyes again. “I can do this. I can do this. Just make it through the party. That’s all I have to do.” She opened her eyes, staring down the darkness of the unknown ahead of her. “I can do this.”

She took a careful step. “And I can be  _ calm _ about this, most importantly,” she added under her breath.

She tried to keep her breathing steady as she walked the remaining length of the cave, brushing her hair out with her fingers and trying to feel the braids to make sure she didn’t pull any out. She felt satisfied enough by the time she reached one of the Hall’s side rooms designated for larger meetings, at which point she was more worried about making sure her... Well,  _ whatever _ it was that kept making her feel that fear stayed far away for the rest of the night.

She jumped as the door burst open, revealing her father in his black and red formal wear, looking slightly frazzled. For a moment she worried he heard her screaming, and in turn the  _ whole Great Hall _ as well. He turned before she had time to react and found her standing there, which made him sigh in relief. “There you are, darling. We were starting to worry you stayed home.”

She laughed nervously. “Nope, I’m here.”

He seemed to examine her carefully with a soft, understanding smile. “Come here, give your old man a hug.”

She chuckled, trying to ignore how it lacked any humor. “Dad, I’m okay, really.”

“Not for you,” he playfully scoffed, “For me! Get over here!”

She rolled her eyes, but obliged anyway, crossing the room quickly and launching herself into his arms as if she were still five years old. He squeezed her tightly. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She sighed quietly as the last of the shaking and fears seemed to melt further away the longer he hugged her. Maybe she’d be just fine tonight after all.

After a long while, he let her go, holding her by her shoulders an arm’s length away. “And, gods, you’re beautiful! Just like your mother.” He brushed her bangs back with his thumb before lifting her chin with his first finger. “Mature beyond your years, as always,” he added with a small smile.

“You’re not going to cry, are you?” she teased.

“Of course not!” he said a little too quickly, sniffling in the process. She laughed at him and he chuckled along before growing serious again. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“There’s a room full of Vikings gathered for a major celebration. It’s a little late for second guessing, isn’t it?”

Hiccup shrugged. “I can make something up. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing I did for your mother after telling me she’s pregnant. It’s not like they’ll be  _ mad _ about a reason to feast and drink.”

They both laughed, but Zephyr didn’t know what to say once they quieted. Part of her suddenly wondered if she was ready, despite insisting differently for years now. Part of her couldn’t ignore the fact that if they postponed it at this point, it would only cause more doubt later on when they did finally announce it.

Hiccup gently lifted her chin again, looking her in the eye. “Be honest with me, okay? I just want to make sure you’re ready. And if you don’t feel like you are, then that’s okay. We don’t have to do this tonight if you don’t want to.”

_ If they postponed it at this point, it would only cause more doubt later on. _

She smiled as convincingly as she could. “It’s okay, Dad. I can do this. I want to do this tonight.”

His eyebrows creased together. “It might be rough, you know. We aren’t entirely sure how everyone will take it.”

_ Oh, I’m pretty sure I know, _ she thought to herself. But she kept her face set. “I can handle it.”

He pursed his lips. “Are you sure?”

She forced a laugh. “Are you doubting me?”

He chuckled. “Of course not. I knew you could do this from the moment you could walk. I just want to make sure  _ you _ know that you can do this.”

She found her smile came easy now. “I can do this.”

He considered a moment, but eventually nodded. “Okay. Then why don’t we join our tribe, Little Warrior.”

She took a deep breath again. “Lead the way, Dad.”

He brushed back her bangs one last time, smiling fondly at her, before nodding his head and stepping back through the door.

They were instantly engulfed in the rambunctious sounds of dancing and drinking and singing, loud enough that Zephyr knew no one would have heard her episode of panic back in the caves. They had obviously wasted no time getting everything started.

Good. Maybe enough mead and ale in their bodies would help them receive the news better.

Everything happened in a daze after that. She sat at her place on her father’s direct left, with Nuffink seated at her other side. She vaguely registered a plate of food being set before her as her father encouraged her to eat, she may not have a chance to later. She mingled with her family, laughed when appropriate and made agreeable noises when prompted. But she was too distracted by her own thoughts to actively participate.

She let her eyes scan over the crowd, watching the people of her tribe enjoy themselves. She could pick out groups from different islands as well, mainly the Berserkers and Outcasts. Yes, there was Heather catching up with Ruffnut and Fishlegs, sitting with Nutmeg in her lap. She must have come to represent her island and to give Mala and Dagur a break from traveling. Alvin was hard to miss, as he was one of the largest men in the room.

And as her eyes slid past him, they met the wide-eyed stare of warm amber.

Eirson’s eyes started to flicker away, but he wasn’t able to take his eyes off of her. She saw the embarrassed blush bloom on his cheeks, knowing she had caught him staring, but he still didn’t look away.

She broke eye contact first, shaking off his stare. She almost felt  _ excited _ by the sight of his eyes on her, and she didn’t think she liked it. It was distracting. She had more important things to worry about. She was bigger than some teenage Viking fawning over a chief’s son.

_ Fawning? _ No, she wasn’t  _ fawning, _ she was  _ distracted _ by him.

It was almost laughable, the idea of herself fawning over a boy. She’d never given herself a chance to think about boys and kisses and small gifts of affection. When she imagined her future, she saw herself a strong and sure Chieftess, but she never saw a man at her side. She never thought about marriage or children because, well... She’d never given herself a chance to think about boys.

She snuck a glance back at Eirson only to find him still staring at her, eyes wide and wondrous, lips slightly ajar but turned up in an admiring smile. She turned away again, but she couldn’t help a small smile touching her own lips. It  _ was _ kind of nice to have someone look at her like that...

Hiccup turned to her then. “Are you ready?”

The blood drained from her face instantly. But somehow she managed to smile and nod.

Hiccup returned the smile and patted her hand, and then stood, calling for everyone’s attention. He thanked everyone for coming, laid out reason after reason they had to celebrate in general, announced Nuffink’s apprenticeship beginning in the forge (though between Nuffink and Zephyr, he was more interested in the informal alchemy apprenticeship he found himself in under Tuffnut’s guidance), broke the news of their mother’s unexpected pregnancy...

Zephyr’s heart raced. She knew what was coming next. She begged her dinner to remain in her stomach...

“But lastly, and certainly not least... Zephyr, would you stand please?”

She took a deep breath, but felt the vice start to grip her chest again, and suddenly all she could think about was how inconvenient it would be to lose control right now. She didn’t recall stepping in front of her father, but she felt him standing squarely behind her as he reached up to squeeze her shoulders. “I know there has been a lot of speculation and talk...”

He continued speaking, but Zephyr couldn’t hear very well around the pounding of her heart in her eyes, despite the fact that he was bellowing the words to a large room from directly behind her head.

“...silly to wait any longer. And so tonight...”

Gods, is he still talking? All of New Berk knew that Hiccup Haddock was long winded, but this was long even for him. Or maybe it just felt that way because Zephyr was incredibly aware of the weight of the coming words.

She realized he paused for a moment, and Zephyr almost bolted out of the Hall right then. She could do it. She could just run away, hide in the tunnels below the island and evade any search party they sent after her. She could do it. She knew those tunnels better than anyone else on the entirety of New Berk-

But then Hiccup squeezed her shoulders and gently kissed the crown of her head.

_ I knew you could do this from the moment you could walk. _

He believed in her. He knew her better than anyone. He had raised her, made her into the girl, the  _ woman, _ she was. He always told her time and time again that he was proud of her. And he has always had faith in her. He only ever wanted the best for her, and he would never ask her to do something he knew she couldn’t handle. She needed to have faith in his decision.

So as she felt him take a step back, his hands falling away from her shoulders, Zephyr set her face like she did earlier in the reflecting glass. She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and readied herself for whatever was about to come for her.

Her father took a deep breath himself. “New Berk and our honored allies and guests, I present to you: Zephyr Stoick Haddock, Firstborn to Hiccup Horrendous III and Astrid Haddock, Heir to the Chiefdom of New Berk.”

Zephyr expected a lot of shouting, maybe some shocked gossip, definitely arguments erupting around them.

What she never expected was the cold, empty silence that swept across every soul in the room.

She was just as shocked as they were. She didn’t know how to react. Even  _ Hiccup _ stood speechless behind her.

She heard someone clear his throat suddenly. “Long live the Chieftess!”

She turned to find Eirson holding his cup above his head as a shaky and half-empty chorus of “Long live the Chieftess” echoed across the hall. He smiled halfheartedly at her, and held his cup up towards her before taking a drink.

The noise must have shaken her father back to life. He stepped up beside her and put his arm around her, as if protecting her from the shaken stares of the crowd. “Aha, yes! So please, feast and drink and... And celebrate with me and my family, my beautiful daughter’s fourteenth birthday. May she have many more, and many happy years ahead.”

The room slowly came back to life as the guests turned back to their food and drink, but they seemed more cautious than before. Zephyr could only imagine the kind of turn their conversations had taken.

“Zephyr, darling, I am so sorry-” Hiccup started to apologize in her ear.

“Dad, it’s fine,” she quickly reassured him. “I wasn’t exactly expecting roaring applause, to be honest.” She smiled at him as best as she could. “I’m okay.”

“Maybe not ‘roaring applause’ but  _ something _ would have been nice,” her father muttered. He looked down at her before pulling her into a real embrace. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Positive,” she said, happy she didn’t have to look him in the eye and betray what she was really feeling. She pulled away and sighed. “I’m going to go see Aunt Heather.”

“Zephyr,” Astrid said, leaning around Hiccup with Willow in her lap. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Mom, I’m fine. I just want to see Aunt Heather, she wasn’t there on Old Berk.”

Her mother gave her a concerned look but didn’t object. Zephyr took the opportunity to leave before she decided to say anything else.

She had every intention of actually going over to see Heather, but once she started walking away, she felt the same tightening in her chest as before. She could feel the fear rising in her throat, overwhelming her head-

_ No. _ She shoved the feeling down. Not tonight.

Though it became harder and harder to do as she moved through the crowd, not really sure where she was headed to. She tried not to notice how everyone she passed glanced at her from the corners of their eyes and lowered their voices. How the crowd literally split as she walked through it. Some gave disgusted glares, some simply looked on in confusion or curiosity. She couldn’t help but notice that no one was particularly  _ happy, _ though.

She found herself at the edge of the room when she heard two men talking loudly amongst themselves. When she heard Nuffink’s name, she slipped behind one of the large pillars nearby.

“...determined, headstrong, loyal, he’d make a great chief. I wonder why they chose Zephyr.”

“She wouldn’t do a bad job, would she?”

“No, I don’t think so. I just worry no one will take her seriously. Especially as a youngin’.”

“I’m sure Hiccup thought through that.”

“I agree, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for her. I’m jus’ saying, Nuffink would’ve been a... Smoother transition.”

She sighed. Well, it was nice to hear  _ someone  _ outside of Council believed she had the ability, at least. Even if they didn’t think she was the right choice. She turned, planning to find Heather again.

She gasped and jumped back, hand over her racing heart. “Eirson! For Thor’s sake, announce yourself next time or something.”

Eirson chuckled nervously from inches away, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Heh, yeah, Dad says I’m really bad with that, too.” He glanced back at her. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Zephyr replied too quickly and too harshly.

Eirson raised his eyebrows. She hated when he did that. “I’m sure you are.”

She crossed her arms and stared him down.

He melted into a smile and shook his head. “Zephyr, I’m a friend, remember? You can’t pretend you aren’t hearing what everyone is saying when I literally caught you eavesdropping.”

She stood her ground for a moment longer, but eventually sighed, dropping her arms and scrubbing her face. “It’s fine. It’s nothing we didn’t expect.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you should have to put up with it,” he said, voice soft and understanding. Zephyr ignored how the sound of his words made her heart ache to feel his arms around her again, to chase away the bad feeling like he did on the cliffside.

She hugged her own waist instead of leaning towards him like her body wanted to do. “I’ll have to get used to it, won’t I?” she weakly argued.

Eirson pursed his lips as he searched her face. “Do you want to step outside?”

She was a little taken aback. “Uh... I mean, this party is for me. I should probably stay and...”

“What, mingle with your adoring fans?” he joked, though the warmth in his amber eyes shaved off any edge to his words. “The party has already spread outside. There’s plenty of people out there who need your attention too.”

She bit her lip and scanned the room. She  _ was _ already hiding in a corner. And no one was exactly looking for her.

When she turned back to Eirson, she found his hand extended to her. “Come on. Besides, there’s something I want to show you.”

Her eyes flickered down to his hand and back up to his eyes again.

He gave her a shy, pleading smile. “Can you trust me for once?”

He said “for once” as if they’ve been locked in this battle of wits for years on end, rather than having only had the one encounter on Old Berk. But the guy was just  _ so damn persistent _ that it sure felt like years.

It wasn’t that she didn’t  _ want _ to trust him. She just didn’t give in that easy. And the fact that he wanted her to just give in, just like that, would normally make her shut down.

Normally.

So why didn’t  _ he _ make her want to shut down?

She searched his eyes, his face, his body language,  _ anything _ for some type of sign that he wanted to betray her. That he just wanted to get something out of her and use it against her or her tribe in some way. That he really just wanted to hurt her in one way or another, and this friendly routine was just an act, a means to and end.

But she couldn’t find it.

All she found was genuine kindness, some concern, a warm softness.

Maybe it was that kindness. Maybe it was the interest in whatever it was he wanted to show her. Maybe it was just the need to get away from the Hall for a bit, and he was a convenient excuse.

Whatever it was that swayed her, she found herself slipping her hand into his. “Okay.”


	9. New Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with a record breaking (for me, at least) 7k work chapter, we're going to jump right back in from where we left off last week! Many thank you's to everyone who commented on the last chapter here and on FF and Tumblr, I appreciate every single one of you! And of course many thanks to my lovely beta for putting up with my crap and my procrastination lol

Eirson was typically a very calm person, at least in the times that Zephyr had seen him. He seemed to carry all of his emotion in his eyes and his smile rather than in his general physique.

But as soon as Zephyr slipped her hand in his and whispered, “Okay,” his eyes lit up like she’d never seen before. He straightened his back, smiled wide enough to split his face open, and practically pranced out of the hall while dragging her along like a child with a new toy.

Zephyr couldn’t help but giggle at his burst of excitement, which made him turn back to her and somehow smile wider. He led her out of the Hall and into the chilly air, dodging between guests that shot them curious looks.

“Eirson, slow down!” Zephyr cried, embarrassed but somehow still smiling.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He slowed down to a hurried walk as they weaved through the dancing crowd outside, and started heading for the trees.

Zephyr pulled back. “Eirson-”

“It’s okay,” he said, turning back to smile softly at her again. “We’re not going far, I promise. You’ll still be able to see the crowd.” He stopped, despite the insistence in his voice, and waited patiently.

Waited patiently  _ for her permission, _ she realized.

_ Can you trust me for once? _

Well, she did say she would. And he didn’t seem to be pushing her...

She slowly nodded her head. “Okay.”

He smiled and let go of her hand, stepping into the trees and waving at her to follow. His smile was intoxicating when he saw her enter the forest after him.

“I want you to meet someone really special to me,” he said, turning to her. Before Zephyr could ponder what that meant, he whistled loudly and held out his arm.

She heard rustling in the trees behind him, and she thought about running for a moment. But he still stood calmly in front of her, smiling like nothing was wrong. Suddenly, a large white bird speckled with brown burst silently through the trees and circled above them once before landing gracefully on Eirson’s raised arm.

Zephyr realized her mouth was hanging open in awe when Eirson blushed and smiled shyly at her. “Zephyr, meet Aurboda. I call her Bodi for short.”

Zephyr stuttered, but eventually spit out, “Is that a  _ gyrfalcon?” _

“Yes she is,” he smiled proudly.

Zephyr laughed in disbelief. “And you  _ trained her?” _

He nodded. “She’s really gentle. You can come pet her. She loves head scratches.”

Zephyr took a hesitant step forward. But Eirson nodded and waved her over with his free hand, and she couldn’t hold in her excitement anymore. She jogged forward, slowing when Aurboda looked at her curiously and ruffled her feathers. Her eyes flickered between Eirson and his bird, finding strength in his encouraging smile and actually enjoying the feeling it gave her, as she slowly lifted her hand to scratch Aurboda’s head.

Aurboda happily leaned into the gesture, ruffling her feathers again and pushing her head against Zephyr’s palm.

“When I was ten,” Eirson started quietly, “people around the island were being very vocal about what they thought of me and the rumors about who my parents really were. Which, to be fair, they might have been like that before, but that was when I really noticed it. I was really upset about it, so my dad took me on my first sailing trip.”

Zephyr listened, keeping her eyes on Aurboda.

“We didn’t go far. He said he wanted to teach me how to sail and properly build camp, but I know he was just trying to give me some time away from everyone. We took his little personal ship. We would sail for the day and then pick a nearby island to camp on for the night.” Eirson chuckled to himself. “We must’ve just gone in a big circle, because it seemed like we were sailing further and further away from Outcast without turning back. But a week later, we were home.

“On the third day in, we got to the next island really early. Dad told me to go with him into the woods to gather some firewood instead of asking me to stay back and fish. There was this cliffside back in the trees, and I could hear a bird chirping. I found Aurboda on the ground with a broken leg and a torn up wing. I could see the nest she must have fallen from, but it was empty. So I picked her up and ran her to dad.

“He said she looked like she must have just learned to fly based on how young she looked, and that she was probably abandoned when she was injured. Dad told me to leave her, but I wouldn’t. I literally stomped off to the ship with her in my arms,” he laughed. “Dad acted mad but he told me later that he never saw so much of my mom in me. So he helped me patch her up. He told me it was best to let her go, so I did when she was better. She would fly off, but she always came back. Dad would always yell at me for keeping her around, and I would have to try to tell him that she just came back on her own.” He chuckled and shrugged. “He believed me after he  _ watched _ me let her go and she showed back up a few days later. And from then on he never said another word about it.”

Eirson was quiet after that, and Zephyr looked up to find him lovingly watching Aurboda enjoying the attention. “That’s really sweet,” she said quietly.

Eirson blushed. “Thanks... Uh, so after she kept going and coming back, I started training her to carry letters.”

Zephyr blinked. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah, uh...” Eirson thought for a moment, like even he didn’t expect the change of subject. “Dad told me about the Terror mail your dad started, and how it worked so well because the Terrible Terrors always flew back to their home. Well, Bodi had the ‘home’ part down already, so I just had to teach her where to go. She takes letters to Berserker Island regularly now. And...” Eirson pulled a small black package from his furs. “Now to New Berk.”

“That’s incredible... How did you teach her to do that?” Zephyr tried to remember to hold her jaw shut this time.

“She knows where to go by the color of the leather. Outcast is just regular leather, that way if something happens to the covers you don’t have to worry about trying to dye it right to send her back. Berserker Island is purple, like the Skrill, which was Dagur’s family’s insignia. New Berk is black.”

“Like a Night Fury, for my dad,” Zephyr smiled. He was keeping the dragon’s stories alive.

“And for you, I’m guessing. Night Fury black and Naddar blue?” He was obviously proud of himself for making the connection. Zephyr replied with a sly smile as she crossed her arms over her chest. Though she couldn’t ignore how glad she was that Alvin had obviously told him all about the dragons. Pleased with himself, he started to walk backwards away from her. “Stay there, I’ll show you.” As he moved, Aurboda took off from his arm and landed on a low branch nearby, which apparently reminded Eirson of something. He turned around and took off one of his arm warmers to toss it to her. “You might want to put that on your strong arm. Unless you’re hiding extra cloth under those sleeves,” he added with a smile.

Zephyr watched him whistle for Aurboda again as he crossed the small clearing and placed the arm warmer on her left forearm suspiciously.

When he turned, he requested, “Hold out your arm, like I am.”

She obeyed, suddenly following his train of thought and growing excited again.

He smiled and held the black-painted leather up in front of Aurboda’s face, and then pointed to Zephyr. “New Berk, Bodi. Take this to Zephyr.” He then slipped it over her head and under her wing on one side, tightening it with one hand until it hung snuggly across her body, but loose enough that she could fly and move easily. “New Berk,” he repeated, and gave her a lift.

Aurboda took off and circled around a few times, cried out once, and sailed gracefully down to land on Zephyr’s arm as if it were the millionth time she’d done it. Zephyr was surprised by how light she was; she was still heavy enough to make Zephyr’s arm tired after a while, but she wasn’t terribly solid either.

Zephyr laughed in disbelief again. “That’s incredible! How did she learn that so fast?”

Eirson chuckled. “Trust me, it took me a few years to get it right with Berserker Island. I think she just recognized the pattern. I spent the whole sailing trip training her to recognize the black leather. Now I just have to see if she can get from Outcast to here on her own.”

“That’s amazing.” Zephyr scratched Bodi’s head. “Such a smart girl.”

“She really is.” Zephyr saw Eirson bite his lip out of the corner of her eye. “So, um... When you want to send her back, you just switch which leather is on the outside and wrap it all up.”

“That’s so neat!” Zephyr said, still scratching Aurboda’s head.

Eirson laughed nervously. “No, uh, go ahead and try it now.”

“Oh, okay?” Odd; hadn’t he said she had that part down? Zephyr loosened the tie and carefully slipped it off of Aurboda, prompting her to take off and perch in a nearby tree to preen herself. Zephyr rolled out the leather, immediately noticing the plain brown leather neatly rolled up with the black.

But then something fell into her hand.

A long, deep blue gem hanging from thin strips of black leather.

“Eirson, what’s-?”

“It’s for you.” She looked up to find his cheeks blushed under his scruff. “I saw the colors on your bag back on Old Berk. I know it’s not quite the same blue color, but that’s what I could find with the time I had. So... Um, happy birthday.”

Zephyr didn’t know what to say. Aurboda swooped back down and gently tugged the leather covers from her hand, and she still wasn’t able to say a word. She soared back to Eirson and dropped the leather in his hand, but Zephyr still stayed silent, frozen with the necklace in her palm.

Eirson turned worried. “If it’s too much-”

“It’s beautiful,” Zephyr quickly choked. “Thank you.”

Eirson started to step towards her. “I just-”

“I should go.” Zephyr stumbled backwards, talking quickly and not at all sure about what she was saying. “Uh... I mean, back to the party. My party. Because, you know, it’s uh, it’s for me, and I should... Um... Probably... Be there...”

Eirson raised his eyebrows.  _ Gods, _ she hated that.

“Thank you,” she stuttered out again before running back into the village.

She groaned, partially out of relief and partially frustration, once she was back under the cover of the crowd. Just when she thought that maybe he could be a good friend to rely on, he pulls this!

The blue gem felt like it was burning a hole in her hand as she weaved through the crowd, not entirely sure where she was going. She sighed. Maybe that was too harsh. It was a nice gift. And that’s all it was: a gift. Which wasn’t entirely unusual given the circumstances.

But it was a  _ private _ gift, that he obviously orchestrated a nice little surprise for. That wasn’t something that  _ friends _ did. Was it?

It was really sweet, though...

Zephyr shook her head. No, don’t even entertain that thought. She hated surprises anyway.

She didn’t have much of a chance to consider it either way; as she walked closer to the Great Hall, she saw Nuffink, Tuffnut, and Dagur snickering and sneaking (sort of) around the side of the structure.

Oh, this ought to be good.

~~~

Nuffink loved big village-wide celebrations. A lot. Definitely more than most people.

Because big parties meant big crowds.

And big crowds meant big distractions.

And big distractions meant big opportunities for mischief.

And, boy, was today a whole mess of big distractions. So much so that even Nuffink wondered if maybe he should lie low for the night.

Maybe.

He was still considering.

He watched Zephyr stand up and say she was going to see Aunt Heather, but he couldn’t help noticing she walked around to the right side of the room.

He turned his head, easily finding Aunt Heather sitting with Uncle Dagur, Uncle Tuffnut, Aunt Ruffnut, and Uncle Fishlegs on the  _ left _ side of the room.

Mom and Dad of course didn’t notice, as they were busy fighting with Grandma Valka.

“...absolutely ridiculous. I don’t care who it is, when a successor is announced, the people should be grateful,” she complained.

“Mom, please,” Dad begged. “Not now, alright? We knew this could happen, we’ll deal with it later.”

“So we’re just going to let them run all over the poor girl?” Grandma fought back, waving her arm in front of her to gesture to the whole room.

“We just need to give it time to sink in,” Dad insisted quietly. “Please, Mom, just let me handle this.”

Grandma looked at Dad, and then looked at Mom, raising her eyebrows. Mom shook her head slightly, prompting Grandma to roll her eyes and stand from the table.

“Mom, where are you going?” Dad asked her. “Please don’t start any-”

“Oh, Hiccup, please,” she stopped him, patting his shoulder. “I’m just going to get a drink.” She continued on her way, but Nuffink heard her mutter under her breath, “If I have to stand aside while my granddaughter is slandered I might as well not remember it in the morning.”

Nuffink snickered, and Grandma shot him a playful scowl over her shoulder. Nuffink stood up and stole Grandma’s seat next to Spero.

“Bubba, did you taste the yak?!” Spero asked excitedly. “Grammie Runa really did a good job.”

“Yeah, she did,” Nuffink said, distracted as he tried to listen in on what Mom and Dad were saying.

“What’s wrong, bubba?” Spero tapped his shoulder.

“Nothing, Spes.” Nuffink smiled at his little brother and pointed across the room. “Hey, look! Uncle Dagur’s already dancing!”

Spero’s mouth opened wide as he followed Nuffink’s finger to find that Uncle Dagur was in fact dancing very badly, and just in time to watch him jump up on the table.

Nuffink wrapped his arm around Spero as an excuse to lean closer to his parents.

“...not a good idea, Ast, maybe we should have waited. Or maybe-”

“Hiccup, it’s done now. There wasn’t any getting around it. But maybe your mom is right, maybe we should let the people who support Zephyr stand up for her.”

“I just don’t want fights to break out.”

“I know, I don’t either. But they’re going to have to get used to it. Honestly, they should have seen it coming. And the sooner they realize we’re not joking around about this, the better.”

Dad didn’t respond after that, though Nuffink thought he heard him sigh.

“It’s not like it was when you started, love.” Mom’s voice was much softer, and Nuffink strained to hear what she was saying. “She still has her father here to guide her. We’re in peaceful times. We’re not recovering from a massive attack. This is good. This is better than we ever could have asked for her.”

There was a pause, and then Nuffink heard his father say, “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

“I always am.”

“Alright, no need to brag. Come here, Willow, let’s let Mommy eat her dinner, yeah?”

“Oh don’t be so excited to see Daddy! I’m fun too you know...”

Spero patted Nuffink’s cheeks with both his hands. “Bubba, bubba! Look look look!”

Nuffink didn’t have much choice as Spero turned his head for him back towards Uncle Dagur (sort of) who apparently fell  _ off _ the table into Uncle Tuffnut’s arms. Spero was laughing hysterically at this. Nuffink laughed along. It looked like he wasn’t getting much else out of listening in on his parents anyway, who were now trying to feed Willow small bits of yak chops yet again unsuccessfully.

It took a minute, but eventually Nuffink was able to slip away, sneaking along the outside of the room. He started scanning across the crowd. Mom and Dad were still talking at the head table, but they looked like they were going to get up in a moment; Willow was getting antsy. Uncle Tuffnut and Uncle Dagur were dancing together now, but at least their feet were on the floor. Aunt Heather and Aunt Ruffnut were talking at the table, but Nuffink could tell they were trying to make sure no one was listening in on their words. Huh, no signs of Uncle Fishlegs, that’s interesting. Oh, wait, no, there he was - over by the keg with Grandma Valka. Both with large tankards in their hands, oh boy. There was Zephyr trying to hide behind a pillar, talking to Eirson - blech. Uncle Snotlout, where was Uncle Snotlout... Ah, talking to Spitelout. And getting angry. Oh boy, yep, he’s starting to whisper-yell at Spitelout, that can’t be good.

A small hand tapped Nuffink’s shoulder, but he didn’t react. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“Hey, Nutmeg,” Nuffink said. “I haven’t thought of one yet.”

“Oh come on,” she teased. “This is the biggest party of the year! How have you  _ not _ had a plan for weeks now?”

Nuffink shrugged, a little uncomfortable. “My parents and Zephyr have been really stressed about it.”

Nutmeg crossed her arms. “What, so you felt too bad?”

Nuffink shrugged again, face turning bright red. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t gonna make things worse for once.”

Nutmeg didn’t say anything for a minute. “It’s okay to care about your sister, you know.”

Nuffink rolled his eyes. “I bet you 5 copper pieces Uncle Snotlout punches Spitelout tonight.”

“Nuh-uh! No way! Uncle Louttie wouldn’t punch his dad!”

“Look,” Nuffink said, pointing to the father and son fighting across the way. “We just finished dinner and they’re already screaming at each other.”

“Doesn’t look like much screaming to me,” Nutmeg muttered.

_ “Yet,”  _ Nuffink clarified, smiling deviously.

“What’d’ya think they’re fighting about?” Nutmeg asked, sounding a little concerned.

“Who knows, it’s Spitelout. It could be anything.”

“Where’s your sister anyway?”

“Over th-” Nuffink pointed to the side of the room Zephyr was standing last, but they were gone now. “Huh. She was just over there talking to Eirson.”

“Eirson?”

“Alvin’s son.”

“Alvin?”

“The Outcast’s chief.” Nuffink looked at Nutmeg. “Your dad is the tribe ambassador.”

Nutmeg shrugged. “I don’t pay attention. Mom’s job is cooler.”

Nuffink chuckled. “Come on, let’s go mess with the ‘Louts.”

Nutmeg scrunched her nose. “Don’t call them that,” she said, following Nuffink through the crowd.

At first, Nuffink was pretty singularly-focused on the Jorgensons. But then he started to notice the pitiful glances people were throwing his way. People were patting his shoulder and saying, “It’s okay,” “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” “They could always change their mind.” He shot a bewildered look to Nutmeg behind him, who just shrugged unhelpfully.

Unfortunately, it didn’t stop once they reached Spitelout.

They hadn’t even entirely walked up to the two before Spitelout noticed Nuffink and loudly announced, “Now  _ there _ is a proper heir!”

Spitelout threw his arm around Nuffink after he crossed the remaining space between them, and only then did Nuffink realize what he said. “Wait, what?”

“This party should be for  _ you _ boy-o! That’s what I’ve been sayin’! Why would ye let them choose a  _ daughter _ over you!”

Nuffink stammered, “But... But I don’t want to be chief. I’m proud of Zephyr.”

“Feh,” Spitelout waved him off. “Tha’s just what they  _ want _ ye to think.”

“Dad, enough,” Uncle Snotlout said, pushing his arm off of Nuffink and pulling Nuffink closer to him. “Leave him alone, leave Zephyr alone, leave all of the Haddocks  _ alone _ . This is  _ their _ decision, and Hiccup isn’t stupid. He knows his kids. Drop it.”

“Ah, they tricked you too, did they?!” Spitelout said, leaning in far too close to Snotlout’s face.

“I think you need to stop drinking, and go home,” Snotlout threatened in a low voice.

“The meade ain’t the thing making me talk, boy-o. It’s the ridiculous decision my idiot of a ch-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” Snotlout spit, reaching his arm in front of Nuffink and Nutmeg as if trying to shield them. “Especially not in front of his kid!”

“Hey, kids, why don’t we go outside,” Aunt Ruff said, suddenly standing behind Nuffink and Nutmeg. She quickly guided them away and back to the table she was seated at before. Nuffink looked back to find Uncle Snotlout shushing Spitelout, trying to escort him out of the main room and into one of the tunnels.

Mom and Dad were talking to Aunt Heather, but Mom looked like she was fuming. “Oh, when I get my hands on him-”

“Astrid, relax,” Dad warned.

“He has no right to speak to our son like that!” she yelled.

Dad put her arm around her, which Nuffink thought was a very bad idea. “I know, love, but you need to calm down. Sit down, please.”

“I will sit down-”

“Right now, yes, that sounds like a great idea!” Dad practically pushed her down onto the bench next to Aunt Heather, who chuckled and rubbed Mom’s back.

“It’s alright, Astrid,” she said. “I think Snotlout has this one handled for once.”

Astrid crossed her arms and mumbled something about what she would do if she wasn’t pregnant and if no one was watching. Nuffink shivered. As funny as that would be to watch he couldn’t imagine anything she was thinking was pleasant. But then she saw Nuffink and Nutmeg walking up with Aunt Ruffnut. She straightened up and smiled. “Hey, sweetheart, are you guys having fun?”

Nuffink nodded, but didn’t say anything. He was suddenly very aware of all the eyes on him. He floated over to stand next to Mom, not really paying attention to what he was doing.

She brushed his hair out of his face and hugged him close. “Nuff? You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

She wasn’t convinced. “Don’t let Spitelout get to you, okay? He’s just a grumpy old man who’s set in his ways.”

Nuffink nodded again. “Where’s Willow and Spero?”

Mom and Dad shared a look. “Uh... Grandma Runa took them home. They were getting a little tired,” Dad explained.

“Oh,” Nuffink said, not really sure what else to say. He wasn’t sure why he asked in the first place.

“You can go home too if you want,” Mom said, straightening Nuffink’s shirt.

“No it’s okay. I still need to find Uncle Dagur anyway.”

“Are you sure, Nuff?” Dad said. “You don’t have to-”

“Yeah, I’m good, see you later!” Nuffink ran off, dodging through the crowd and heading through the door. He took a hard right as he stepped outside, following the wall of the Great Hall to avoid the crowd and get to his favorite lookout spot. Until-

_ “Oof!” _

Nuffink had been running so fast he didn’t even see the sheep in his way. He flipped over it as he ran into it, landing face first in the dirt. He sat up slowly and shook out his head, examining the sheep.

He narrowed his eyes. “Oh, it’s  _ you.” _

The sheep (Nuffink had named this particular sheep Yakdung) didn’t react. He continued chewing mindlessly on the grass.

“What, Agnar’s good vegetables aren’t enough for you?” he sassed.

Yakdung didn’t react.

“I’ve got my eye on you,” he threatened.

Yakdung didn’t react.

Nuffink shook his head and scoffed, scrambling to his feet. He started to walk off again, but then a large arm slung around his shoulder. The sheep ran off in surprise.

“Nuffing!” Uncle Fishlegs cried. His breath reeked of ale. “Are ya havin’ fun?!”

“Uh, yeah, Uncle Fishlegs, it’s great.” He tried not to gag. “Are, uh... Are you having fun?”

“O’ course I am! It’s your sister’s birthday!” He sloshed a bit of ale onto Nuffink’s arm.

Nuffink laughed weakly. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Uncle Fishlegs leaned in close, making Nuffink want to hold his breath. “But I’m scared, Nuff. I can’t find my lucky sock!”

Nuffink’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Lucky sock?”

“Yeah!” Fishlegs yelled, standing up straight. “I lost it!”

Nuffink tried to shake out the ringing in his ear.

But then he got an idea.

He looked around and found that stupid sheep still standing nearby. He smiled deviously.

“You know what, Uncle Fishlegs?” he said, committing to the act. He had Fishlegs’ full attention. “Now that I think about it, I was  _ just _ talking to that troll over there! See him?”

Nuffink pointed to the stupid sheep, and Fishlegs followed his finger, mouth open wide enough to catch a jumping fish. He nodded a little too enthusiastically.

“And you know what he said to me? He said, ‘I just stole this lucky sock from some old guy!’” Nuffink feigned shock.

“No!” Fishlegs gasped.

“He did! I bet that was  _ your _ lucky sock, Uncle Fishy!”

Fishlegs shook his head. “Well, I’ll show  _ him! _ He can’t just go ‘round, stealin’ people’s lucky socks and stuff!” Fishlegs held out his tankard, which Nuffink barely caught as he let go of it, and rolled up his sleeves. He kicked up some dirt like a bull ready to charge, and ran after the sheep with a cracking, ear-splitting war cry. The sheep froze for a moment, but then ran off, a stumbling Fishlegs barely keeping up with him.

Nuffink looked down at the tankard in his hand. Well what was he supposed to do with this now?

“What’s with ‘Legs?” Uncle Tuffnut asked, walking up behind Nuffink with Uncle Dagur.

Nuffink shrugged. “I told him the sheep was a troll that stole his lucky sock.”

“He believed that?” Tuff asked.

“Fish has a lucky sock?” Dagur asked.

“Looks like it, Tuff. I don’t think he has a lucky sock, Nutmeg woulda mentioned it by now. But he’s the one that told me he lost his lucky sock.” He held up the tankard of ale. “He handed me this and ran after that stupid sheep.” Nuffink shook his head and muttered, “I hate that sheep.”

Dagur snickered. Tuffnut snagged the tankard and asked, “Should we follow him? This could be fun,” before downing it in a single gulp.

Nuffink sighed. “Yeah, Meg will  _ kill _ me if he gets hurt ‘cuz of me.”

Dagur pat Nuffink’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, kid, we won’t let him get hurt. But we don’t get to mess with Fish very often.”

“Agreed,” Tuffnut snickered. “Letting this  _ prime _ opportunity go would be such a crime.”

Nuffink smiled. Well, if they were gonna mess with him anyway...

They followed Fishlegs as he chased Yakdung around the Great Hall and near the tree line. Thanks to his anything-but-straight approach to catching him, it was quite easy to keep up. And Nuffink noticed right away where the sheep was headed. “Wait, wait, I have an idea,” he whispered to Dagur and Tuffnut, smiling at the steep incline that naturally reached up toward the Great Hall’s roof. Dagur and Tuffnut were listening closely, so he continued. “It’s too steep here, but if we can make Yakdung go around a little more, he’ll run up the hill to the roof. And I think we left those clothes we stole from Uncle Snotlout up there in the leaf pile. Including his  _ socks.” _

“Wait, who’s Yakdung?” Dagur asked.

“The sheep,” Tuffnut answered, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “Oh, I like where your head is going, Nuffnut.”

“Wait, like the roof to the  _ hall?” _ Dagur clarified.

Tuffnut and Nuffink both nodded enthusiastically.

Dagur laughed and shook his head. “No way, you’ll never get Fish up there. Drunk  _ or _ sober, the man is terrified of heights!”

“Well,  _ now _ he is,” Tuffnut muttered. “You almost accidentally roll a guy off a cliff  _ one time.” _

Nuffink snickered. “He is pretty drunk. Drunker than I’ve ever seen him.”

“You’re ten,” Dagur reminded him, but seemed to consider his words anyway. He glanced at Fishlegs, who was now rummaging through a bush threatening “the troll” while Yakdung chewed away on some weeds nearby.

Tuffnut crossed his arms, still smiling. “Dear Nuffnut, dare I say you’ve grown into quite the follower of Loki.”

Dagur swivelled his head back, matching Tuffnut’s smile. “I’d love to see this.”

And so the three set off in different directions, sneaking closer to the stupid mindless sheep and the clueless Fishlegs. Nuffink found the perfect poking stick on the ground as he snuck up behind Yakdung and poked his stupid stinky butt. He cried out and ran towards the base of the hill with Tuff and Dagur on either side, making sure he stayed on track. Fishlegs popped up out of the bush the minute Yakdung shrieked. “Hey, troll! Get back here! I wan’ ma lucky sock!” he yelled before taking off after him.

Nuffink cackled once they were out of earshot. Dagur was right, pranking Fishlegs was so much more fun! He turned and quickly scaled the steep incline as he’d done many times before; after all, what better place to use as a lookout than the top of the Great Hall?

He made it to the top just as Yakdung seemed tired enough to slow down, which did not take long at all. Fishlegs followed behind not long after, and Tuffnut waved for Dagur to follow him towards the Hall roof. The hill stopped short of the flattest point of the rock, so Tuffnut and Nuffink had built stairs out of some short logs a few years earlier. Once he saw Tuffnut showing Dagur how to put them in place, he jumped out into view. “Uncle Fishlegs! Did you get your sock back?!”

Fishlegs looked bewildered. “Oh yeah! My sock! Where did it go?!”

“I think the troll hid it in his evil stash! I saw it upstairs!” Nuffink pointed to the stairs and the flat portion of roof above them.

Fishlegs’ face lit up. “Aha! Ma sock!” He ran towards the stairs, but didn’t quite judge the placement of them correctly. His first step fell on the edge of the left side of the log and slipped off. He tried again, but had the same problem as he didn’t move outside of lifting the same leg again and placing it in the exact same entirely unhelpful spot. He turned around to Nuffink. “I can’t get in!”

Dagur and Tuffnut snickered from the bush they were hiding in directly next to the stairs. Nuffink snickered too, but tried to compose himself. It became much harder once another idea popped into his head. “Maybe you need to take the troll  _ with _ you!”

“Ohhhh,” Fishlegs said, stretching out the single syllable. “The  _ troll _ is the  _ key to the door!” _

Dagur fell on the ground, rolling and clutching his hands over his mouth to stay quiet.

Nuffink struggled to keep a straight face. “Exactly!”

Fishlegs didn’t need to ask anymore questions; he stalked right over to the stupid sheep, who of course was paying no attention at all because he’s a stupid sheep, and lifted him before Yakdung could figure out what was going on. Yakdung shrieked as Fishlegs threw him over his shoulders and said, “Welp, let’s go get mah sock!”

Tuffnut was also doubled over laughing now behind the bushes, especially after Nuffink had to follow Fishlegs over to the stairs in order to make sure he actually made it past the first step this time. But then Fishlegs had no problem stumbling his way up the stairs and dropping Yakdung on the roof before spinning around to look for his lucky sock. “See anything, Uncle Fishy?”

“Nope!” he cried, but by the sound of the shuffling feet he was still looking. Nuffink, Tuffnut, and Dagur were all on the ground quietly laughing to themselves

But they all froze when they heard a very familiar sound of a girl clearing her throat.

“Nuffink, what do you think you’re doing?”

The three pranksters stood up immediately, answering, “Nothing,” in a well-rehearsed chorus.

Zephyr stared them all down with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “Mhm. Where’s Fishlegs? I know you three followed him up here.”

They all three pointed to the stairs leading to the roof.

Suddenly, Fishlegs popped up above the top step. “I found mah sock!” He sniffed and made an unpleasant face. “Stinks more than I remember.”

“Snotlout usually does, too,” Dagur muttered, making Tuffnut and Nuffink snicker.

Zephyr sighed. “Uncle Fishlegs, what are you doing on the roof?”

“It’s the troll’s secret hideaway! He stole mah lucky sock!” He waved Snotlout’s sock around over his head.

“No, it’s not, it’s the roof of the Great Hall.”

Fishlegs looked around, very confused, before he noticed how high above the village center he was. His eyes flew open wide.

“Get him down from there,” Zephyr ordered. Tuffnut immediately obliged, pulling Fishlegs down the stairs and pointing him back in the direction they came up the hill. “Is there anything else up there I should know about?” Zephyr asked, starting to turn around to follow Fishlegs.

“Nope,” Nuffink said before Dagur or Tuffnut could bring up the sheep.

“Fine. Then move those stairs before some other drunk wanders up there and gets themselves killed, would you?” She ran after Fishlegs and escorted him back to the party.

Nuffink smiled. “Sure, sis.”

So after they dismantled the stairs and Nuffink heard a satisfyingly annoyed noise from a now trapped Yakdung, he wandered around through the crowd again, not really sure what to do with himself anymore. He figured one harmless prank would be enough for tonight, especially since Zephyr was the one that caught them. He didn’t want to make tonight any harder on her than it already was.

But then he saw Spitelout running his mouth again across the Hall. And he couldn’t really let that go once he saw Zephyr’s name cross his lips.

After all, he didn’t want to make tonight any harder on her than it already was.

He glanced over to the table of desserts that he had been helping himself to. He smiled and picked up a particularly delicious pastry filled with a fluffy cream and wandered outside.

He had to admit this wasn’t his most well-planned prank; he tried not to be too hard on himself since it was a last minute decision. But he already had enough of Spitelout bad-mouthing his sister.

He snuck back over to the forest and found a fallen log small enough for him to roll over himself. He looked over the assortment of bugs and critters and chose one that looked particularly juicy and squishy.

After wrestling with the bug to convince it to burrow into the pastry, he found Spitelout still talking with a group of old villagers at a table. He walked past, wondering how he should best approach the table, but Spitelout made that unnecessary. “Oi! Nuffink, boy-o, come here!”

Oh boy.

Spitelout waved him closer and clapped his back. “Did ye think about what I said earlier?”

“You mean, about how I should be chief instead of Zephyr?” Nuffink slowly replied, not at all liking where this was going.

“Exactly,” Spitelout said, poking Nuffink’s chest. He turned to the rest of the table and added, “See? Smart boy, this one. Resourceful, strong, helpful, responsible. Always lookin’ out for the people of his village, isn’t that right, boy-o?”

Nuffink didn’t want to answer, but one of the other men didn’t give him a chance to, anyway. “Of course he is, look at ‘im! Cleans up well, I think. Much tougher than that little girl, too, I’d wager.”

“Zephyr is older than me,” Nuffink defended.

“Feh, don’t let that stop you,” Spitelout said. “She’s a  _ girl _ . That job is your birthright, not her’s. She can’t handle such an important role. But you, you would make an excellent chief! You’re strong, grounded. Don’t you want the best for your tribe?”

“I guess-”

“Of course ye do! Because you’re real chief material!” He clapped Nuffink on the back again. “Now don’t forget what I told you, ye hear? Your dad is still chief, so he can still take back this little misunderstanding and announce the  _ real _ heir. Don’t get discouraged, understand?”

The table of elders looked at him expectantly.

He turned back to Spitelout. “You know what, you’re right. I’ll remember every single word you’ve ever said about me and Zephyr.” He looked down at his hands and held out the pastry. “Here, you can have this. I got it just for you to thank you. These are my favorite.”

Spitelout smiled and took the pastry. “Ah, well thank you, boy-o. Now don’t forget to talk to your father about all of this. Run along.”

“Yessir.” Nuffink smiled and walked away. Oh, he’ll bring it up to Dad, alright. But he’ll probably wait until Mom wasn’t around.

~~~

The rest of the night seemed to fly by to Zephyr. After showing Fishlegs back to Ruffnut and explaining more or less what happened (which Ruffnut found incredibly funny), Zephyr spent most of the night avoiding Eirson. The necklace in her hand seemed to burn a hole through her palm again; but even though she couldn’t bring herself to think about it, she couldn’t bring herself to put it away either. But her mind was trying to think of too many other things at once already, so she couldn’t think about that at the moment.

By the time she managed to slip home, she all but crashed into her bed and fell asleep instantly. But she was woken up far too early the next morning by her mother, and ushered through breakfast and dressing in order to bid farewell to the guests. Eirson must have gotten the point, as he simply told her, “I’ll send Aurboda back with a test message once we get home,” and left with a quiet wave and a shy smile.

She tried to ignore how the wave and smile made her heart flutter.

With the guests back on the water and sailing off, daily activities resumed. Zephyr tried to stay around her father, but something about the village was different today. She tried to pretend she didn’t know why, but they all did. It was hard to ignore the side glances she got from everyone. It made focusing on anything her father was doing quite difficult. She kept looking for an excuse to escape and take a break from the judgemental stares to no avail. But then Agnar came running up to Hiccup going on about how his prized sheep was missing again. Suddenly, Zephyr remembered that Fishlegs had chased a sheep up the hillside the night before.

Hiccup was trying to reassure Agnar, but Zephyr jumped in. “Agnar, don’t worry, I think I know where your sheep might have gone off too.”

Hiccup and Agnar both looked at her. “You do?” Agnar asked.

“I do. I think he, uh... Got spooked last night during the festivities, I saw one running off to hide. Just give me an hour or two, I’ll see to it personally that he’s returned to you unharmed.”

Agnar looked at Hiccup, who shrugged and nodded. “Alright,” he said. “Thank you, Zephyr.”

Zephyr smiled pleasantly. “Not a problem.” She waved to her father and ran off towards the Great Hall. It didn’t take her long to climb back up the hill and locate the logs she knew Tuffnut and Nuffink used to climb up to the roof. She put them in place and climbed up, where sure enough, she found a lazy sheep laying in the sun and munching on the scarce vegetation that had grown through the stone. “Nuffink,” she groaned to herself. She walked over and started to coax the sheep up, mocking the conversation they had the night before. “‘Is there anything else up there I should know about?’ ‘Oh, no, of course not, Zephyr! Just a sheep that I have some stupid vendetta against!’ For the love of Thor, Nuff, why does it have to be Agnar’s favorite sheep you decide to have a feud with?” After a minute of coaxing, the sheep finally stood and pranced down the stairs, headed back to the village. Sort of. He made sure to take his time down the hill and help himself to every plant along the way.

Zephyr sighed and sat down, enjoying the peace of not having eyes constantly turning her direction for the first time since last night. The sheep could wait a minute.

She lifted her chin as the wind picked up, loose locks of her hair blowing across her face. She took a deep breath, trying to let her mind settle. She had been shaky ever since that overwhelming fear almost consumed her last night in the caves. She had managed to hold that feeling at bay, but she could still feel it brewing deep inside her, waiting for the chance to escape.

But she couldn’t let it. Not again.

She reached into her small bag and pulled out the blue stone necklace Eirson gave her. She turned it over in her fingers, watching the light glitter through the smooth sides of the stone. Sighing, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. She felt guilty for treating Eirson the way she did last night, but it was all too overwhelming for her. And then he gave her this incredible gift on top of all that. She didn’t know how to take it, or what he meant by it. It almost made her nervous to see what his “test message” would say.

She clutched the necklace to her chest. Still, it was nice how much he seemed to care for her...

She looked off towards the southeast, still barely able to make out the Outcast ship on the horizon sailing back home. Maybe she should start opening up to him. As an ally. And  _ maybe _ as a friend.

She scanned the horizon, enjoying the peace and quiet; she was steadily realizing how much she had taken it for granted.

She saw the Berserker ship headed east back home. But then she noticed three ships far off to the northeast. She tried to think back to who that would be, but she couldn’t think of any tribe located that direction. Except for the Wingmaidens, but they never traveled by boat; even if they did, they weren’t present last night as far as Zephyr could remember.

But after some time she realized the ships weren’t sailing away from New Berk. They were sailing  _ towards _ New Berk. And New Berk wasn’t exactly expecting any other visitors.

And then her worst fears were suddenly realized. Two long blows of a horn rang out through the village, a signal that Zephyr knew the meaning of but had never actually heard used in her lifetime.

_ Enemy ships approaching. _


	10. Preparing for Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! I know I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger last week, so I'll keep this short, but I wanted to make one quick announcement! Up until now I have been posted every week on Fridays. I will be starting university again at the end of the month, and (for my sanity sake) will be switching to uploading every other week instead. I will keep posting every Friday through August, and then switch to every other Friday in September.  
> And with that, I'll shut up and let y'all get to it!
> 
> ***TW: Graphic Depiction of Injuries***

After Zephyr had run off to find Agnar’s prized sheep, Hiccup tried to go on with the day’s usual schedule, fully trusting her to handle the situation and honestly not wanting to know why she knew where the sheep was (though he suspected Nuffink had something to do with it). And he expected the day to go pretty smoothly; after the announcement, most of the village was slow to get moving this morning. Today should have been relaxed.

But then Eret requested Hiccup’s presence  _ immediately _ . Which never happened.

“I didn’t want to alarm anyone, but I don’t have a good feeling about this, either,” Eret muttered to the Chief as they hurried to the lookout post.

Hiccup waited until they were climbing the stairs of the lookout to reply. “What did you see?”

“Ships. Three, to be exact. But not ones I recognize. And they appear to be sailing directly towards us.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. But I wanted your opinion first.”

Hiccup practically ran to the large eyeglass, equally eager and afraid to see what Eret was so worried about.

Unfortunately, it only made Hiccup’s stomach drop.

There were indeed three ships, and they did in fact seem to be headed directly for New Berk. But Hiccup didn’t recognize the flag they flew under; actually, there really wasn’t anything on the ship to indicate a tribe, or that gave any clue as to where the ship originated. He couldn’t even see much of a crew, and the few he did see wore long furs with hoods.

“Trader’s ship?” Hiccup wondered, and almost hoped, aloud.

“I fear not,” Eret said hesitantly. “The only trader we have ever had at this island was Casimir, and that was nearly ten years ago. On top of that, I didn’t see much in terms of goods on those ships. Unless you count weaponry.”

“Oh, good,” Hiccup quipped. He took a closer look, and quickly noted a large assortment of shiny spears and other assorted weaponry littered across the deck of all three ships. “Wait... Those spears look familiar.” He strained to see clearer. “Those are Wingmaiden spears.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s hard to tell from this distance, but their spears are pretty unique. And  _ those  _ spears are the right color, right size...” Hiccup continued to scan the deck of each ship, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears. “The Wingmaidens were supposed to be at Zephyr’s announcement last night. None of them made it,” he breathed.

Hiccup heard Eret shift uncomfortably next to him. “What are you thinking, Chief? That those are Wingmaiden ships?”

Hiccup shook his head slowly. “The Wingmaidens don’t  _ have _ ships.” As the ships drew closer, Hiccup could see armor that matched the material of the spears scattered across the deck as well; but that armor wasn't exactly in good shape.

“So what are you implying?” Eret asked slowly.

Hiccup straightened up. “I’m afraid the Wingmaidens were attacked...”

“...And their attacker has now set their sights on us?” Eret finished.

Hiccup nodded. “That’s my fear, yes.”

Eret paused. “You think Atali would give away our location?”

“Gods, no,” Hiccup quickly assured. “Not willingly. But if her tribe and the Razorwhips’ lives were on the line, there’s only so much she can do. They could have gotten information from other places in the island if they raided it. If they were held and tortured” - Hiccup choked out the word, sick to his stomach at the thought of any of those women or their dragons enduring something like that - “something may slip if they’re worn down enough. I wouldn’t hold any of that against them.”

Eret looked out to the ships. “What’s the order, Chief Haddock?”

Hiccup gripped the eyeglass tighter and tried to take a deep breath. It didn’t really work. “Alert the village to prepare for an attack.”

Eret blinked and swiveled his head back to Hiccup. “Are you sure?”

“No one is getting hurt because I was too afraid to stand up and fight. Not again. No running away. No waiting to try to talk things out peacefully.” Hiccup turned to walk back down the stairs, jaw and shoulders set. He pointed to a crewman named Holger as he walked and ordered, “Sound the alert now. Two long blows.” Holger nodded and ran to the Thunder Ear 3 while Eret followed Hiccup back down to the ground, the eerie sound of the formerly unused warning sending shivers down everyone’s spines. “We prepare for the worst and pray to the gods we didn’t need to. Go find Snotlout first, he’s going to have to be acting general. I am not putting Astrid in the middle of this right now, not that she’ll be happy about it. Send anyone not properly armed to the forge and we’ll do our best to fix that. Those ships are sailing against the wind so we have time, but I want everyone moving like they’re already at our shores. We’re all a little rusty, every second is vital. And if you see Zephyr, send her to the forge  _ immediately.” _

“Aye, Chief,” Eret responded before taking off in search of Snotlout.

Hiccup started off in the opposite direction, headed directly for the forge and shouting orders to anyone he passed in the process. He tried to ignore the pounding in his ears, the knot in his stomach, and the dizziness in his head. He couldn’t let fear overwhelm him now, no matter how much he hated that he had to make these orders. Not when he had a duty to his tribe.  _ A Chief protects his own. _

He bounded into the forge, breathing heavy and ignoring the ache in his stump (he suddenly realized how long it’d been since he ran like that; man, he was out of shape). He was met by Gobber’s worried glare, Nuffink’s confused stance, and Spero’s frightened eyes.

“Daddy,” Spero said, walking up to Hiccup, “what's going on?”

Hiccup lifted Spero and set him on one of the workbenches, hugging him tightly. “Well, bud, there’s some funny ships out in the water that we don’t recognize. So we’re getting ready in case they aren’t nice people.”

“Are they gonna fight us?” Spero asked, tears welling in his eyes.

Hiccup’s heart broke. “I really hope not, bud.” He turned to Gobber, arm still locked around Spero. “How many weapons do we have in here?”

Gobber raised his eyebrows and turned to the back corner of the forge, pushing open a door that led to Gobber’s personal workspace. Hiccup followed and found stacks upon stacks of various weaponry piled in every available space. “Uh... Quite a few, I’d wager,” Gobber quipped.

Hiccup blinked. “Gods, Gobber, where did all of this come from?”

“Well there’s only so much to do around here without dragon teeth to fix! I get bored sittin’ in here with no projects. So I take the scrap metal, and, well...” Gobber gestured to all of the room. “I got bored a lot over the last fifteen years.”

Hiccup blinked again. “I... Guess I can’t even be mad about that. You may have just saved all of our asses.” He shook his head and started pulling axes. “Right, okay, we need to get as many of these sharpened and ready for combat as possible. Nuff, do you remember how I showed you to sharpen axes?”

“Yeah,” Nuffink said, jumping at the opportunity to help.

Hiccup dropped the axe pile in front of him. “Go for it, bud.”

Nuffink smiled and nodded his head, soaking in the pile of weaponry before him. “Sweet.”

Hiccup shook his head and retrieved some swords to sharpen himself. “Don’t get too excited. As soon as Zephyr gets here, you both are going home and bunkering down.”

Spero hugged his knees to his chest. “Daddy, I’m scared.”

“I know, Spes, I’m sorry, bud,” Hiccup said, wishing he could stop sharpening swords and just hold his shaking son. “But it’s going to be okay. Zephyr is going to keep you safe.”

“Who’s gonna keep  _ you _ safe?” Spero asked.

Hiccup smiled at him. “Uncle Snotlout is gonna keep me safe, just like Mommy would if she didn’t have to be with you guys.”

Spero nodded his head, content enough with that answer but still visibly frightened.

“Dad!” Hiccup heard Zephyr’s voice call out as she flew through the village.

“Oh, good, Zephyr,” he sighed in relief as she ran into the forge. “Take your brothers, get your mom and sister, and get home, alright?”

“What? No, I’m staying with you,” she fought.

“Zephyr, I really don’t have time-”

“No, Nuffink can get Mom and Spero and Willow, I’m staying with you!”

“Zephyr-”

“I’m staying!”

Hiccup froze, staring down his defiant daughter, ticking off the options in his head.

But in reality, he knew he only had one option. He saw the determination burning behind her eyes. She was equally his and Astrid’s daughter, after all. If he didn’t agree, she’d just sneak out once she got home.

His hands balled into fists. Better to keep everyone on the same page rather than risk one going rogue.

“Nuffink, get everyone home,” Hiccup ordered, not breaking eye contact with Zephyr.

“Um... Come on, Spero, let's go find Mom,” he heard Nuffink say hesitantly. Nuffink helped Spero off the counter before his sons ran off after looking back at Zephyr and him over their shoulder.

He clenched his jaw, begging himself not to say something he’d regret later. “You stay  _ right by me _ . No running off. And you follow every order I give you  _ to the letter _ , do you understand me?”

Zephyr nodded her head.

“Sharpen those axes.” He pointed to the pile Nuffink had been working on.

Zephyr nodded silently and got straight to work.

Hiccup looked over to find Gobber giving him a that-was-a-little-harsh look. Which he returned with a now-is-so-not-the-time glare. Gobber shrugged and bent back over the maces he was working on.

“Acting General, reporting for duty,” Snotlout said as he ran up to the forge window. “What’s the plan, Chief?”

“How many fighters do we have?” Hiccup asked, not breaking from his work.

“Take out the kids, the elders that can’t walk, and your pregnant wife, and you’ve got the entire village,” Snotlout listed. “Eret’s getting his archers ready at the cliffs now. I don’t know what those crewmen are doing, but we haven’t seen many more people come up on the ship decks.”

Hiccup wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse. “Assume the worst. We’ll go from there. I’d rather be prepared than caught off guard.”

“Aye-aye, Chief. Where do you want the rest of the fighters?”

“Around the archers. We need to keep an eye on the crew once they get closer to the island. I don’t know if they have a plan to get from the sea up here, but I don’t want to give them the chance to circle around us. They’ve had plenty of time staring at that cliff face to figure it out if they’re smart enough.”

“I’ll start funneling people that way once they’re armed.” Snotlout waved the first wave of fighters towards the forge and stepped to the side, barking orders.

Hiccup, Gobber, and Zephyr did their best to prep as many weapons as they could, but figured it best to leave the rest untouched after every Viking was armed in case the intruders found their way into Gobber’s armory. Gobber started to get up and follow the other Vikings towards the cliffs, but Hiccup stopped him. “Maybe you should stay here. You know, guard the weapons and stand by in case someone needs a backup.”

“I can fight jus’ as good as any o’ those dimwits,” Gobber argued.

“Gobber, please,” Hiccup quietly begged. “I don’t doubt your fighting skills, but I don’t know what’s about to walk off those ships. And I’m not blind, I know you haven’t been walking as well lately. For my sake, please, just stay here.”

Gobber pursed his lips. “Ye can’t protect everyone, lad.”

Hiccup’s eyes flickered Zephyr’s direction involuntarily, and he was glad she was behind him and couldn’t see it. “I know. But that won’t stop me from trying.”

Gobber sighed. “Go. I’ll stay here.”

“Thank you, Gobber,” Hiccup sighed in relief. He turned to Zephyr and thought for a moment.

If he left her with Gobber, she’ll be out of the direct battle, but also out of his protection.

If he brought her with him, he could make sure she was safe, but there was a chance he could lose her at some point if things got too crazy.

He pursed his lips. If he left her with Gobber, she’d run off, and Gobber would end up going after her.

Dammit.

“Zephyr, let’s go,” he said, grabbing a sword. Zephyr followed with an axe in hand.

Hiccup prayed to every god he knew that he wouldn’t regret this.

“Archers stand by!” he ordered to the line of Vikings standing atop the lookout with Eret. “Do your best to hit anything you can on those decks, but  _ wait for my signal!” _

He was met with a chorus of “Aye, Chief!” from the archers.

“Everyone else, keep an eye out for anyone getting off those ships. If anyone manages to step foot on this island, make them regret it.”

“Aye, Chief!”

“‘Bout time we see some action again,” he heard a man nearby say.

“Oh, it’s been far too long,” someone replied, and Hiccup could hear the smile in his voice.

Hiccup shivered.  _ Please let all of this be pointless... _ “Archers stay where you are, everyone else back out of range in case they have their own archers ready.”

They backed up, but not as much as Hiccup had wanted.

He kept his eyes locked on the ships. “Zephyr,” he said quietly, “stand behind me.”

“But-”

“Do  _ not _ argue with me.”

Zephyr slid behind Hiccup without another word.

He saw a figure walk up onto the deck of the lead ship and turn towards them. “Archers at the ready!” he instantly cried, holding up his right hand. But when he noticed the figure limping, he quickly added, “Wait for my signal!”

Everyone tensed. Hiccup gripped his sword tighter in his left hand.

The figure reached the bow of the ship and removed the hood of the furs, and Hiccup’s eyes flew open wide.

Atali.

_ “Stand down!” _ Hiccup choked. “Archers, stand down!”

The archers all looked to Eret, who signaled them to relax. “What is it, Chief?”

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but if Atali was on the lead ship, then there may be more Wingmaidens with her. And if that was the case, then he had to approach this delicately to avoid harming them. “Change of plans,” Hiccup called out. “Eret, you take charge of the archers and some of the ground forces and watch our backs. Snotlout and I will take the rest and go down to find out what’s going on. I need to know how many Wingmaidens are on those ships.”

Eret nodded his head and turned to start giving orders. Hiccup separated the men he wanted to stay in addition to Eret’s archers and led the rest to the pulleys. “Snotlout, pick your five best men. They’ll go down with us in case someone wants to pick a fight. Everyone else will stay at the top as a buffer in case they overtake us and use the pulley system to get up to the village. Zephyr, you’ll stay up here with Fish-”

“I’m not going down with you?” she protested.

“No. You’re staying up here with Fishle-”

“But I can fight!”

Hiccup tried not to let his anger get the best of him. “Zephyr, as your Chief, I am ordering you to stay landside with Fishlegs, do you understand?”

Zephyr paused before muttering, “Yes, Chief.”

He half expected her to jump on the pulley at the last minute, but thankfully she stayed put next to Fishlegs, who was also given the order to command the ground forces in case Hiccup and Snotlout were unable to. As they began their descent, the ships changed course at Atali’s command closer to the corner of the island they hung from. Hiccup’s nerves only grew the closer they got to the water, and the closer the ships sailed to them. He wanted to believe the fact that the ships obeyed Atali’s command meant that she was in control and not someone else. But the reality of the situation was that she just as likely could be doing what she had to as a hostage to keep her tribe safe; to no fault of her own, of course. But if they truly were hostages, then Hiccup needed to gather as much information as he could in order to find the best way to save the Wingmaidens and take down their attacker. The only true relief he felt was in the size of the ships; they were fairly small, enough that unless each ship was bursting at the seams with Vikings below their decks, the Vikings of New Berk would easily outnumber them. And even if they were packed, it would at least be a fairly even fight.

The lead ship closed enough distance for Atali to say, “I apologize for the surprise visit, Hiccup,” accompanied by a weak smile.

“Are you okay? And your tribe?” he asked.

Atali sighed. “We are... Lucky, I believe is the more accurate word. Many of us are injured, but no fatalities.” Her face darkened, and she added, “Yet, at least.”

“I didn’t remember your tribe having ships,” he carefully stated, hoping not to offend Atali and that she would understand where he was going with his questions.

“We don’t.” She laughed weakly. “Well, I suppose we do now. We were attacked, and our island has been burnt to the ground. We were able to appropriate three of their ships to escape the island.”

Hiccup nodded slowly. “And what about your attackers?”

Atali smiled. “I can assure you that my Wingmaidens are the only living beings on these ships. We left all of our attackers on the island.” She gestured to the ships behind her. “Please feel free to search.”

Hiccup took in Atali’s stature. She looked exhausted, and on top of the limp, she was clutching her side. But she didn’t look afraid or worried or concerned. He looked to Snotlout, who nodded. Snotlout motioned to the team working the pulley to drop the lift the rest of the way to the deck.

Once HIccup was back on the deck, he had a new set of priorities. “Atali,” he said, wrapping her in a gentle hug. She practically fell into him, which only worried him more. “What happened to you guys? Are you okay? How many of your women are injured?”

“A lot,” Atali sighed, trying to straighten back up. Hiccup wasn’t entirely sure which question she was answering, but even more worried that the one answer fit all of them. He had never seen her look so weak...

Hiccup secured Atali to his side with one arm and turned back to the men awaiting orders on the lift. “Snotlout, go back up and send someone for Tuffnut. Tell him we have a lot of Wingmaidens that need attention urgently. Either use his hut or set up Mom’s place or the Great Hall or both as an extension of his hut, I don’t care, just find space. Send more men down after you reach the top. The rest of you, search the ships to make sure there’s no stowaways, but then focus on getting those women topside. Start with the most severely injured and work your way through. Go.”

Snotlout’s chosen five immediately went to work searching the ship and surveying the injured. Snotlout paused and locked eyes with Hiccup, worry evident in his eyes, and then looked to Atali. “Is Minden...?” he started, obviously not wanting to finish the question.

“She’s alive,” Atali assured him, though Hiccup thought she sounded hesitant.

Snotlout didn’t seem reassured either.

“I’ll find her myself, Snot,” Hiccup promised. “I’ll send her up as soon as I do. Have Fishlegs come down here with the next set of helpers, will you?”

Snotlout hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded and signaled to have the lift return to the surface.

“Are you hurt?” Hiccup asked as he turned back to Atali.

“I’ll be fine, but Hiccup, we need to call a meeting urgently,” she said.

“Not until we get you checked out,” Hiccup argued.

“Hiccup, we may not have the luxury of waiting around-”

“I don’t care,” he cut her off. “I saw you limping, you haven’t let go of your side, and you can barely stand on your own. Go see Tuffnut, and then we’ll call a meeting.”

“There are more women that are much more injured than I am that need attention long before I do,” she argued back.

“Then at least let Zephyr take a look at you and make sure it’s nothing too serious,” he pleaded. “She’s been working very closely with Ruffnut for years, and if she says you can wait, then we’ll call the meeting.”

Atali sighed. “Alright. But we can’t wait much longer. I don’t think we were followed, but I can’t be sure.”

“Well, you won’t do us much good if you’re too hurt to give us information. Go up with the next group. Are you okay to wait here while I find Minden?”

Atali nodded tiredly, so Hiccup helped her to the side of the ship where she would have something to lean against before running off to find Minden.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to find her. One of the men sent off to gather injured Wingmaidens named Frode was already carrying her up from below deck of the lead ship. And she didn’t look good. Her arm was bent in a very unnatural way, and Hiccup thought he could see bone sticking out of her skin. She was covered in so much blood that he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Her eyes were closed and her face paler than the moon. Her hair was caked with sweat and blood and had fallen completely out of her typical tight ponytail. It was hard to tell around the blood, but Hiccup thought he saw a black eye and a split lip on her face as well. His stomach dropped to his feet when he saw just how limp she was.

“Holy shit, Minden,” he breathed. “Frode, give her to me and go see who else needs to come up with the first group.”

Frode nodded and handed Minden off to Hiccup. He felt a slight relief when he noticed her chest rapidly and shallowly rising and falling, but not much. She looked  _ terrible _ , and Hiccup tried to ignore how often Vikings in this kind of shape didn’t make it.

He prayed to the gods she was the exception. For Snotlout’s sake.

Hiccup practically ran back to Atali as the lift lowered onto the deck again. Atali gasped as she took in Minden’s state. “Oh no, that’s not good.”

Hiccup cringed. “Please tell me you just remembered you forgot something back on the island.”

Atali looked pained when she met Hiccup’s eyes. “She’s getting worse.”

Hiccup felt like crying. “Yeah,” he choked, “that’s what I thought you meant.”

They shared a worried glance and waited for the lift to reach the deck, which felt like hours later. Hiccup wasted no time ordering Frode and the others on the platform. Fishlegs stepped off with a handful more men and helped Atali onto the platform, awaiting Hiccup’s orders.

“Take over for me down here, ‘Legs. Most critical injuries first, take care of who you can down here. I don’t know how fast Tuff is going to run out of room.”

Fishlegs’ stare was locked on Minden. “You got it, Chief,” he muttered. He met Hiccup’s eyes and looked incredibly worried.

“I know,” Hiccup muttered back. “Me too.”

“I left Zephyr up top with Snotlout,” Fishlegs added, signaling to raise the lift.

“Thank you.” Hiccup and the rest of the men kneeled down to give their arms a break and their bodies some more stability while the lift raised back to land. Atali practically fell down next to Hiccup; he barely managed to free an arm to catch her. “You’re not making me feel any better about rushing right into a meeting,” he quipped.

Atali sighed. “It was a long battle. We fought for three days straight. We are all exhausted. But Hiccup-”

“Don’t ‘but Hiccup’ me,” he teased before turning somber. “You will be much more helpful to us  _ after _ you’ve gotten some help and some rest.”

“Hiccup...” she sighed.

“We have plenty of natural defenses in case you were followed. We’ll keep the lookout post manned at all times. If anyone is coming for us, we’ll know in plenty of time.”

Hiccup could tell she wanted to fight back again, but she didn’t have the energy to keep it up anymore. She leaned against Hiccup, sighed, and closed her eyes. The rest of the ride to the top of the island was eerily quiet.

As they passed the edge of the cliff, Hiccup kept his eye on Snotlout. He was singularly focused on organizing everyone as best as he could in preparation for the injured Wingmaidens. But the moment he turned and saw Minden lying limp in Hiccup’s arms, he broke. The blood drained from his face, fear overwhelmed his eyes, and Hiccup could practically hear his heart break.

_ “Minden!” _ Snotlout cried, voice cracking on every syllable. He rushed forward, holding out his arms, and Hiccup didn’t hesitate to pass her over. “Minden, gods, what happened to you?”

Minden’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled weakly. “That’s...  _ Wingmaiden... _ To you... Sn’lout...”

Snotlout looked like he wanted to collapse as his eyes filled with tears, but he chuckled and breathed, “Gods, you’re stubborn as ever.”

“Go, Snotlout,” Hiccup ordered gently, wrapping an arm around Atali again to hold her up. “I can take over here. Get her help.”

Snotlout nodded, his thanks evident in his eyes, and took off to find Tuffnut. “Hang in there, Minden,” Hiccup heard Snotlout plead as he ran.

“Dad...” Zephyr started, and Hiccup turned to see her almost as pale as Minden. “What happened to them?”

“I’m not sure yet, but we’ll find out as soon as we can, okay?” Hiccup reassured her. She nodded slowly, still looking off in the direction Snotlout had run off. As angry as he was with her, he couldn’t ignore the fact that she had never seen anything like this in her life; he knew it couldn’t be easy on her. “Zephyr, sweetheart, come here.” He waved her over with his free hand and opened his arm. She slowly walked over to him and he pulled her into a slightly awkward side-hug. Atali reached across Hiccup to squeeze Zephyr’s shoulder. “Zeph, can you do me a favor?”

Zephyr nodded.

“I want you to go get Mom and catch her up on what happened, okay? Just tell her what you know for now and we’ll get more information later. Let Grammie Runa know that we need some stew for the Wingmaidens, and help her if she needs it. Go get something to eat while you’re at it and rest for a bit, take your time, and then start looking for the Council members and tell them to meet in the Great Hall as soon as possible. Except for Ruff and Tuff, I’m sure they’ll be busy. Can you do that for me?”

Zephyr silently met Hiccup’s eyes and nodded.

“Okay,” Hiccup said, kissing her forehead. “Go ahead, sweetheart.”

Zephyr started off, and Hiccup watched her long enough to make sure she stayed on track and didn’t get distracted.

“Do you think that’s too much for her to handle right now? Is she okay?” Atali asked.

Hiccup sighed. “Sadly, it was more than I was planning to have her do. But when she gets overwhelmed she does better with a longer list of things to do. Otherwise she just sits and starts overthinking things. She does better with a... Constructive list.”

Atali nodded absentmindedly as Hiccup continued directing people as best as he could until Eret ran up to take over, insisting Hiccup go with Atali and do what they needed to do. After some debate, Hiccup agreed, but not before making sure Eret left the lookout post adequately manned and ordered scouts in sets of three be sent around the island edges to watch for any other threats. As satisfied as he could be for the moment, Hiccup practically carried Atali back towards his home, figuring she’d let Astrid take a look at her at the very least and ease Hiccup’s conscience. And he could check on Zephyr while he was at it.

“Hiccup,” Atali started once they were out of earshot, “I really think we should-”

“Get your injuries looked at? I agree.”

“Hiccup-”

“Atali, I promise, we will meet as soon as possible and talk through what happened to your tribe. But we need to get your tribe off of those ships first and get those ships hidden in the cove. We should have space for all of them.”

Atali sighed. “I sincerely appreciate what you’re doing for my tribe. I just worry that this is the beginning of a much larger issue.”

“And I agree. And that’s why we’ll have a Council meeting.  _ After _ everyone is at least mostly settled.”

Atali was quiet for a moment, but eventually whispered, “Thank you.” After a while, she added, “Will you take me to check on Minden if I can’t make it over there myself? She’s the worst off of any of us, and...”

“Of course,” Hiccup breathed. “I’m sure Snotlout won’t be leaving her side anytime soon, though. We’ll do everything we can.”

Atali nodded, but was at a loss for words. Hiccup couldn’t blame her. Minden was her right-hand woman; he imagined losing Minden would be like Hiccup losing Astrid.

Suddenly another thought occurred to Hiccup. “Wait, Atali, where are your baby Razorwhips?”

Atali’s face fell. “Somewhere safe, I hope. That’s part of what I need to talk to you about. We fought for three days, until we got more backup. When the mothers set the island on fire, they took the babies and were escorted away.”

“Hold on, what do you mean ‘backup’?”

Atali locked eyes with Hiccup, her face apologetic. “Light Furies. Led by Toothless.”


	11. Close Call

Zephyr hugged her furs tightly around her as she quietly snuck outside, headed towards the southwest corner of the island. She took a deep breath of the refreshing morning air, still chilled by the bite of the nighttime temperatures. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the first suggestions of light were just beginning to peak over the horizon to the east. An eerie calm had settled on the island, mingling with the fog and the morning dew.

_ “We’ll meet first thing in the morning. Right now, everyone needs to rest.” _

That was the last thing she had heard her father say before she slipped off to her room in a bit of a daze. She tried to sort through the events of yesterday, but it was still hard to think about. After seeing that Wingmaiden practically mangled, she couldn’t get the image out of her head. It made her sick to her stomach. Did people just  _ move on _ from things like that? Like it was no big deal? Did they just pretend it didn’t happen and continue on with their day? Uncle Snotlout seemed so devastated by the shape she was in, but Zephyr could tell there was something else going on there. Had it been any other Wingmaiden, he probably wouldn’t have bat an eye.

And before she even had a moment to think over any of that, her father was giving her a list of duties to accomplish. She liked lists. Lists were good. Lists gave her things to focus on. So she ran off to complete her list. Talk to Mom. Talk to Grammie Runa. Help Grammie if she needs it. Eat. Rest. Gather Council in the Great Hall (minus Ruffnut and Tuffnut). Okay. Yeah, she could do that. So she ran to get Mom, who was waiting rather impatiently at home with Nuffink, Spero, and Willow. She explained the false alarm, the Wingmaidens, and anything else she could think of. And before Mom could say anything, she ran off to find Grammie Runa. Granpapi was there too, so she helped with the prep work, but then wasn’t needed. So Zephyr ran back home to get something to eat (though she wasn’t exactly hungry), and Dad was there with Atali. Mom was looking over Atali for any injuries, and Dad said there was going to be a slight change of plans. Council would meet first thing in the morning in order to focus on getting the Wingmaidens settled. Which meant Zephyr was... Sort of out of things to do. Her parents suggested she could help with the minorly injured Wingmaidens, but then all she could see was that one beaten and broken Wingmaiden her father carried up from the ship. And then that tightness came back to her chest, and she couldn’t breathe, and she decided she just needed some space for the rest of the day. So she went off to the same place she was walking to now. But when being alone made things worse, she buried herself in helping Grammie Runa prep a large dinner for the Wingmaidens. And when she ran out of things to do there, she just went to bed. That was when she heard her father talking to Atali in the main room; Atali had suggested meeting now despite the fact that the sun was already dipping below the horizon. But her father had told her it was best to wait.

She didn’t sleep well through the night, either. Once she was alone in the darkness of her room, the tightness in her chest overwhelmed her. She had to stuff her face in her pillow to keep her parents from hearing her cries. When she finally fell asleep, she had dreams of people slashing their way through the village with their swords and axes, not caring who fell victim to their rampaging. She saw her brothers and sister and parents and aunts and uncles all falling to the ground in front of her, and then the entire tribe, until she was the only one left. She jerked awake just before the attackers reached her.

Zephyr shivered at the memory of the dream, telling herself it was the chill of the morning breeze. Pushing back some hanging vines, she revealed the opening of a small cave set in a narrow cliff. To the right was another opening completely covered by one of the many waterfalls that flowed off the island. The dim morning light illuminated the space just enough to see the larger rocks and divots in the floor, but Zephyr knew their placement by heart. The waterfall made it a little chilly, so Zephyr wasted no time pulling out the fur blanket she kept hidden in the back of the cave and snuggling up in it. She pulled out a journal and some charcoal she kept with the blanket, opening it to the last page she had been working on. Resting back against the cool rock, she continued her sketch of a bird perched on a tree branch.

She sighed, finally content again with the rushing sound of the waterfall and the peaceful chirping of wildlife around her. A gentle breeze danced with the vines over the entrance of her hideaway. She wasn’t sure how long she would be able to stay here before the rest of the island started to wake, but she planned to relish every moment of it. She lifted her bag over her head and set it beside her, leaning her head back and resting her eyes.

She heard her bag fall over, followed by a light  _ ting, ting ting-ting-ting _ of something falling out of the bag and onto the rock next to her. She looked down to find Eirson’s necklace glittering up at her like a clear puddle of water sparkling in the sun. Picking it up, she grazed the smooth cut of the gem with her fingers and turned it over in her hands. Hopefully the Outcasts were doing better than the Wingmaidens... They would be on the second day of their journey, probably nearing a halfway point between their island and hers. Maybe she would see Aurboda soon, carrying a message of their safe return to their home. Maybe that would help Zephyr feel a little better, knowing that at least one of their allies was safe.

She felt a tightness in her chest, but not the same one she felt last night. It wasn’t the same overwhelming fear that unraveled her until she was a shrived, crying mess on the ground. It was softer than that, almost like... Like  _ longing, _ like a sad yearning for something that was too far out of reach.

She focused back on the blue gem precariously perched between her fingers. She found herself curling her hand around it instead, clutching it tightly and holding it against her chest. It wasn’t a perfect fix, and she wasn’t entirely sure why she did it, but it felt right.

Maybe she should have been a little more open with Eirson when he was here... Maybe she should have shown more appreciation for the gift that he obviously spent so much time and effort into creating. It really was beautiful, and she really did appreciate it. It had just surprised her so much, she hadn’t prepared herself for something that could mean so much more than just well-wishes from an ally. But if that reaction was the last thing Eirson ever saw of her...

She sighed quietly in frustration and leaned her head back against the cave wall. Why was she even thinking about that right now? There were more important matters to deal with, steps to take that could mean the difference between the survival and total destruction of the only island she had ever called home. Like making sure the needed people were present at this morning’s Council meeting.

She sighed again, more out of exhaustion this time, and lifted her head to inspect the progress of the sun. The cave was brighter now, with light piercing through the ever changing cascade and throwing pieces of itself around on the floor like dancing fairies. To the front of the cave, the vines teased the sun with a more direct passage into Zephyr’s asylum, but the maze of light and shadow that she knew so well wouldn’t replace the dancing fairies until the day’s end.

But if the fairies were awake, then the rest of the tribe would soon be as well. So she stashed her journal and charcoal and blanket and headed back towards the village, shaking off the fear of yesterday and embracing the chances today would bring.

Her first stop was at home, where her mother was already in the kitchen putting breakfast together. She looked up in surprise when Zephyr walked in the door, who immediately intervened to make sure breakfast was still edible by the time Mom was done with it.

“You’re up early,” Mom mused carefully.

Zephyr nodded quietly and began cutting some apples. “I didn’t sleep well.”

“So you took a midnight stroll...?”

Zephyr shook her head. “Just this morning.”

Mom nodded, but didn’t have any other comments. So they continued preparing breakfast in silence, interrupted only by the occasional suggestion from Zephyr to her mother.

Not long after, they heard the sounds of her father waking and slowly making his way downstairs. And once he entered the kitchen, Zephyr was shocked to see how terrible he looked. His eyes were dark and sunken, he walked hunched over, and his limp was more pronounced than normal.

Zephyr caught a small sound of surprise from Mom, but she recovered quickly. “Good morning, love,” Mom said gently to him. “Have a seat, I’ll bring you a bowl, alright?”

When he didn’t reply, Mom and Zephyr shared a short look. They weren’t sure Dad heard her, not even when he sat down at that table. His mind looked like it was racing (which Zephyr could sympathize with).

So they quietly finished preparing breakfast and let him think. Mom fixed him a bowl of porridge, apples, and honey, and set it in front of him while squeezing his shoulder. “Eat up,” she encouraged.

Dad seemed to snap out of his trance, looking down at the bowl in front of him in surprise. He blinked and looked up into Mom’s patient eyes. “Oh. Thank you, love.” Mom smiled and kissed his head as Dad glanced around the room, reaching absentmindedly for his spoon. His eyes fell on Zephyr, and he said, “‘Morning, sweetheart,” to her as he turned to his porridge. He took one bite before he looked up at Zephyr again, a little confused. “You’re already dressed,” he stated.

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Um... Yeah, I couldn’t sleep so I got up for an early walk.”

“Around the village?” he clarified, taking another bite.

Zephyr froze. “Well, yeah, a little. And in the woods a bit.”

Dad froze this time. “How far?” he asked slowly.

Zephyr used the excuse of filling her own bowl of porridge to turn her back to her father. “Uh... Just the southwest corner of the island and back.”

Silence.

This wasn’t going to be good.

“That’s entirely out of the village,” he finally said.

_ That was kind of the point, _ Zephyr thought, but she knew better than to say that out loud. So she silently added some berries and a touch of honey to her porridge instead.

“Please at least tell me you went with someone and not by yourself!” he added.

Zephyr flinched. “Not exactly...”

Dad sighed heavily. “Zephyr, after everything that happened yesterday, how could you have thought that was a good idea? What if someone found you?”

“I thought there weren’t any stowaways on any of the ships?” Zephyr recalled, a little confused herself now.

“They could have followed the Wingmaidens here.”

“But there were scouts all over the perimeter, they would have alerted everyone if they saw another ship.”

“And if the scouts didn’t see the ship? If they snuck on the island and ambushed us in the night like they did to the Wingmaidens?”

Zephyr shifted uncomfortably, trying to busy herself with her breakfast. “Well... They didn’t...”

Stunned silence followed, until her father stuttered,  _ “‘They didn’t’? _ That’s your...!” He paused, Zephyr guessed to compose himself. After a moment he ordered, “Get together the members of Council when you’re done. And stay in the village. I have to check in with Atali and then I’ll meet everyone at the Great Hall.”

He stood from the table and walked back upstairs, leaving Zephyr and her mother in an uncomfortable silence.

She heard her mother take a deep breath. “Zeph, he’s just-”

“I’m good!” Zephyr said quickly, turning around with a big smile smeared across her face. “All good. I’m just going to go eat this outside, get some fresh air, and then I’ll be off.”

She walked outside with her bowl and a spoon before her mother had a chance to reply. She didn’t even give her mother a chance to say anything after she finished her porridge and ran inside to set her dishes in the wash bin. She ran right back outside with a quick, “I’ll see you at the Great Hall!” shouted over her shoulder.

She exhaled heavily. Well, that definitely could have gone better. She tried to tell herself Dad was just stressed, that everything that happened yesterday was unexpected and had a lot of potentially dangerous implications. He’s just on edge, that’s all.

But it didn’t stop the tightness in her chest.

_ Why was he so upset anyway? Nothing happened, everyone was fine, and I didn’t even run into anyone. Which says more about the night scouts than anything else. _

She peeked her head into the forge to let Grandpappi Gobber know where she and her dad would be for the day and to check in on Nuffink’s new apprenticeship. Spero was sticking close to Nuffink, seeming a little lost and unsure what to do if he couldn’t follow Dad around. Thankfully, Nuffink and Gobber didn’t seem to mind having him around the forge, and gave him small, simple tasks to keep him busy. So Zephyr went off to find Eret.

_ I’m not stupid, it’s not like I went out looking for danger this morning. I just went to my hideaway, somewhere no one would have found me. And it’s not like I went all the way to the northern side of the island! The village is on the southeastern side, and my hideaway is on the southewestern. That’s not that far! _

She found Eret at the lookout, checking in with and rotating out the scouting teams. He had been expecting to hear when the Council meeting would begin, so he said he would finish up and head right to the Great Hall. Which meant Zephyr was off to find Uncle Fishlegs.

_ Okay, but even if I  _ did _ run into someone, I could have held my own. Er... Wait, no, I didn’t take my axe with me this morning. Well, Dad doesn’t need to know that. _

Fishlegs was already busy gathering Dad’s maps from the archive, so he didn’t really need Zephyr to tell him to meet in the Great Hall. He also said he had already talked to Ruffnut, so that was one less person to find. So that just left Tuffnut and Snotlout. Which Zephyr guessed she would find them in the same place. So off to Tuffnut’s Healing Hut she went.

Zephyr peeked her head into one of the side rooms. Tuffnut was fussing over the brunette Wingmaiden who seemed to have suffered the worst injuries, and Snotlout was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

She cleared her throat quietly, causing Snotlout to jump slightly.

“Hey, Uncle Snotlout, could I talk to you outside for a second?” she asked quietly.

He nodded and glanced once more to the Windmaiden and Tuffnut before slowly standing and following Zephyr outside.

She led him behind the Healing Hut out of earshot from anyone passing by before turning around. “Dad wants Council to meet in the Great Hall as soon as possible so we can talk about some of this stuff before he calls for the whole tribe.”

Snotlout nodded absentmindedly, gaze drifting back to the Healing Hut. “Yeah, okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Zephyr nodded slowly. “How’s she doing?”

Snotlout didn’t look at her, seemingly distracted. “She’s... She’s alright, I think. Tuffnut says she should be fine. Might have some bad scars but she should live.”

“Good, good... And how are you?”

Snotlout gave her a confused look. “Me? I’m fine...”

Zephyr nodded. “Good, that’s good...”

And then she pulled her fist back to punch him in the arm.

“Ow!  _ Zephyr!” _ Snotlout quietly cried, grasping his bicep where she punched him. “What was that for?!”

“What’s her name?” She remembered he said it, but she couldn’t remember what it was now.

“Excuse me?”

“What is her name?” Zephyr repeated impatiently.

“Why does that-  _ Ow! _ Minden!” Snotlout caved after she smacked his arm.

Minden, that’s right. “Is that her?” Zephyr pointed to the Healing Hut.

“Is who what?!”

“Don’t play dumb!” she snapped. “Minden, is that her?”

“Zephyr, what are you talking about?!”

Zephyr crossed her arms. “Is she the one you’ve been in love with for only the gods know how long?!”

Snotlout froze. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Zephyr’s face slowly revealed a smile. “Oh my gods... She is, isn’t she?”

“Zephyr...” he warned.

“So you do know her well, don’t you?”

“Zephyr, I-”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

“Zephyr!”

“What?!”

He looked like he wanted to argue against her point, but something in her face made him stop. He sighed instead. “How did you know? Did your dad tell you?”

“Dad knows?”

Snotlout groaned. “I don’t know, he knows what happened between her and me in general! He didn’t say anything to you?”

Zephyr shook her head.

Snotlout scrubbed his face with his hands and sat down in the grass against the wall of the hut. “How did you know?” he asked again, looking up to her with a withering glance.

Zephyr shrugged as she joined him on the ground. “It’s me, Louttie. That and you’re the only one that never talks about their love life. No one else talks about your love life, either. Even Uncle Tuffnut jokes that Gothi was the only woman for him.” She shrugged helplessly again. “I just... Anytime something comes up, you change the subject or walk away or just get really quiet and... And I saw your face when they carried her off the ship, and you just... You looked so defeated. When you called out her name, I’ve never heard you sound so... So broken.” She looked at her uncle carefully. “I just kind of put the pieces together.”

Snotlout nodded slowly, but stayed quiet.

After a moment, Zephyr asked carefully, “How long has it been?”

She saw the corner of his mouth twitch up slightly. “Gods, I don’t even know. That was a few years before Grimmel and moving here...” He shook his head slightly as he thought. “20 years, maybe? Somewhere around there. Maybe more.”

She hesitated a moment, but eventually asked quietly, “So... What  _ did _ happen between you two?”

Snotlout sighed heavily. “Hiccup and I went to Wingmaiden Island while the rest of the Riders went to an island called Caldera Cay.”

“Mala’s old tribe?” Zephyr vaguely recalled the name from stories she was told and maps she’d looked over.

Snotlout nodded. “We had just found out someone we trusted as an ally for years had turned traitor. We were gathering allies and stashing these things called Dragon Eye lenses to hide them from the Dragon Hunters and prepare for an attack.”

Again, something Zephyr vaguely remembered hearing about. She thought about asking for more information about them, but that wasn’t important right now.

Snotlout sighed. “Atali had asked Minden to stay and defend the island. Minden... She felt betrayed, like Atali didn’t think she was good enough to help at the meeting. Like she was chosen for the lesser job.” He scoffed half heartedly. “Back then, I always felt Hiccup did the same to me. Always picking Astrid for the more important jobs and giving me something else to keep me busy. So I tried to help her.

“The island was attacked late that night. They set a fire on the opposite side of the island as a diversion. Minden didn’t realize it and took all the guards with her to fight the fire. I tried to tell her it wasn’t a good idea, but she was determined to show her worth. Just after we got the last of it out, there was an explosion on the mountain above the village. Hiccup and Atali were the only two left over there.”

Snotlout scrubbed his face. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “Atali was injured while scolding Minden. We hid in a cave, Hiccup asked if they had any Dragon Eye lenses on the island that the hunters would be looking for. She said no, but I knew she was lying. She decided that instead of telling Hiccup, she’d go get the lens herself before the hunters could. I tried to talk her down, but...” Snotout smiled ruefully. “She’s a feisty one. So instead I went with her. We slipped out while Hiccup was tending to Atali and her dragon and managed to nab the lens.” He shook his head. “By the time we came back, Hiccup was fighting off some of the hunters on his own. He ended up captured, along with Toothless. So now it was just Minden and me to defend the island, the tribe, and their dragons.”

His face hardened. “And Minden blamed it all on herself. Atali, Hiccup, the attack, all of it. She gave me her dragon and walked off. Said she’d be a Wingmaiden no longer. That she didn’t deserve to be.” He chuckled. “And then her dragon picked me up and dragged me to where she was. Gods, Zephyr, I’d never seen someone so... So...  _ Defeated _ . I mean, Hiccup when Stoick died, sure, but... For all the times I disobeyed Hiccup back then, I felt bad, yeah, but Minden... Minden was  _ far _ past that. She tried to quit, and not because it was an easy option like I did  _ multiple _ times. But because she thought she screwed up so bad that they would honestly be better  _ leaderless _ than under her command. And partially because of what I said.”

“What do you mean?” Zephyr quietly asked.

Snotlout scoffed at himself. “Because I had told her she was passed over for a blonde.”

Zephyr bit her lip. Commenting was not the smart option at the moment.

Snotlout scoffed again. “Exactly. Eventually I talked her down, helped her see that if she cared that much about the tribe then she shouldn’t just leave them.” He smiled a little. “I guess it worked, because she kissed me after that. First and last time a woman ever kissed me, actually.”

Zephyr huffed a laugh, enjoying the shift in her uncle’s tone.

“Anyway,” Snotlout continued, still smiling, “she called her dragon back to her with this specific call and it gave us an idea. We were able to bust out Hiccup and keep the hunters distracted until backup came and scared the rest of them off.” He shrugged. “We left the next morning after the lenses were hidden.”

Zephyr waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. “Wait, that’s it?”

He nodded. “Pretty much.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to her?”

He bit his lip. “Well, it was all so new then. I mean it’d only been a day. I saw her once after that, briefly. We went back to move the lenses out of precaution and ended up stuck there for a few days because one of the baby Razorwhips accidentally bonded with Ruffnut.”

“Did you tell her then?”

“Well, not in so many words,” he grumbled.

Zephyr waited.

Snotlout sighed and rolled his eyes. “You know how it took so long for Legs and Ruff to get pregnant?”

Zephyr’s eyebrows pinched together. “Yeah, but what does that...?”

“Let’s just say Ruff was even less of the ‘motherly type’ than she was even 10 years ago.”

“Okay, so...?”

He leaned over, leaning against his knees. He looked so much more like a teenager than he did the 37 year old battle hardened man he actually was. “Look, I’m not saying I blame Ruffnut. Honestly, she probably saved my ass. But we spent so much time trying to help her bond with the baby Razorwhip that I only managed to see Minden twice, both for very brief periods of time. And then it was time to go, and...” He shrugged. “I only saw her once after that, and it was in the middle of the Battle for the King of Dragons when the Wingmaidens showed up to our aid.”

Zephyr’s heart ached for her uncle. “Why didn’t you ever do anything about it?”

He shrugged. “She had her duties as a Wingmaiden. I wasn’t going to pull her away from that. And men can’t permanently live on their island, so...” He sighed. “It was just easier to keep it to myself.”

“And you never found anyone else?”

Snotlout smiled sadly and looked at Zephyr. “No one could beat her.”

She bit her lip. “What are you going to do about it now?”

He chuckled just as sadly. “Not get my hopes up until I know what Atali decides to do.”

She grimaced. “I guess that’s fair.”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. “Hey, Zephie, can we just... Keep this between you and me for now?”

She smiled at him understandingly and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Louttie. Your secret's safe with me.” She smiled to herself. “Just promise me you’ll do something about it this time.”

Snotlout chuckled. “We’ll see. What about you and that Eirson kid?”

Zephyr’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed bright red. She stood up quickly. “We really should get going, they're going to start the meeting as soon as Dad gets there.”

He smiled and shook his head, standing up and brushing off his pants. “Alright, alright. You go ahead, I’m going to let Tuffnut know. I’ll be right behind you.”

She nodded and started her way back to the Great Hall as Snotlout snuck back into the Healing Hut. But as she focused her attention on the meeting at hand, her chest tightened. The information shared at this meeting could mean major changes needed to be put in place around the island, including preparations for battle.

Zephyr had never seen times of conflict in her life, a fact that many of her oppossers will not let her forget. So she had no idea what to expect out of those battle preparations. But since New Berk hadn’t seen battle since it was first settled, no one else did either.

Long story short, this was either about to go very well, or very, very bad.


	12. Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! So many thanks to my awesome beta for putting up with my crap every week. As always feel free to let me know what y'all think! We're starting to get into the plot now and I'm really excited :) enjoy!
> 
> ***TW: General descriptions of battle, description of fallen fighters***

When Hiccup walked into the Great Hall, a lot of eyes suddenly turned his direction. It sent shivers down his spine; he hadn’t seen such a reaction to his presence since they first came to this island. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it; there were much more important matters at hand.

He walked directly to the larger of the meeting rooms, finding Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Eret, Atali, Zephyr, and Snotlout already gathered around the long table. They quieted as Hiccup entered, waiting for him to speak and watching him carefully.

Hiccup suppressed another shiver. It’d been years since he saw his tribe so uncertain.

“We’ll get started shortly,” he began. “Astrid is dropping Willow off to Runa and grabbing Valka. Gobber is going to stay at the forge and keep the boys busy. Any word on Tuffnut?”

“He’s on his way. He was waiting to make sure Minden was stable,” Snotlout jumped in.

Hiccup nodded. “Good. Take it easy then for now. Fishlegs, Atali, let’s start looking at that map of Wingmaiden Island.”

Fishlegs nodded and pulled the Wingmaiden Island map forward as Hiccup walked up to the table. Atali stood at Hiccup’s opposite side.

Hiccup glanced up to find Snotlout talking with Zephyr across the table. His eyes were dark and sad, and he looked just about as terrible as Hiccup felt. “How is Minden this morning, by the way?” he asked Snotlout.

Snotlout sighed. “She’s better. She’s been asleep since we got her arm splinted. But Tuffnut said that’s okay because she lost so much blood.” He shrugged and smiled. “She’s tough, she’ll be alright.”

“I believe that,” Hiccup said, making sure his eyes locked with Snotlout’s.

Snotlout half smiled and nodded slightly. “Thanks, cuz.”

Hiccup nodded and turned back to the map. “Alright, let's get started, then. Tell us what you remember, Atali.”

Atali scanned the map, shaking her head slowly. “Unfortunately, that isn’t much. We were ambushed late in the night, and most of my Wingmaidens were asleep. We had sentries, of course, but the enemies had timed their approach adequately enough that the sentries had not seen them right away. They had approached from the southern side of the island” - Atali pointed to the beach they made landfall on - “and the sentries had just enough time to warn the rest of the tribe of an incoming threat.” She slide her finger across the map to the eastern side of the island, where their village was located. “By that point, the enemies had reached our shores. We were still mobilizing, and the mothers being on the northern side of the island weren’t immediately present to help. But we had some time, considering the warriors didn’t attack right away.”

“Hold on,” Astrid interrupted, standing next to Zephyr and peering at the map from across the table. She and Valka had entered the room about halfway through Atali’s explanation. “Why wouldn’t they attack right away? Were they trying to be peaceful? Because they didn’t do a very good job.”

Atali grimaced, her eyes darkening. “I sincerely wish that had been their intent. Our best assumption is they weren’t aware humans inhabited the island. Once their forces disembarked the vessel, one of the men in charge told them to ‘hunt down the dragons.’”

The room fell deadly silent.

But then Tuffnut burst in, making everyone jump.  _ “Woo! _ What’d I miss?”

Snotlout blinked. “Someone tried to steal Razorwhips,” he explained, a little shocked.

Tuffnut chuckled. “Jokes on them, Razorwhips are terrifyingly deadly. I mean, what creature cries acid?”

“Don’t Changewings  _ spit _ acid?” Zephyr piped up.

“That’s different,” Tuffnut clarified. “They do that instead of breathing fire. Razorwhips breathe fire  _ and _ cry acid tears.”

Hiccup sighed and dropped his head. Best to let Tuffnut get it all out now.

But Snotlout interrupted. “How’s Minden?”

“Good, she’s good. A lot better than before. She’s still asleep, but she’s not trying to thrash around like last night. I left her with one of our helpers.”

“Who’d you leave her with?” Ruffnut asked.

Tuffnut snorted indignantly. “Inga. Duh. I’m not stupid.” He chuckled to himself, but then after a pause, added, “Wait, we  _ like _ Minden, right? We wanna keep her around and stuff? Because if I read into that wrong I can have Gunnar relieve Inga.”

At this point, Hiccup just wanted to see where all of this was going. Especially when every pair of eyes in the room, Valka and Eret included, turned directly to Snotlout. Snotlout glanced around looking uncomfortable with the sudden attention. He locked eyes with Zephyr, who crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. Snotlout groaned. “Oh, come on! It can’t be  _ that _ obvious!”

“Dude, it’s gross. You’re almost as bad as Hiccup was when Astrid refused to marry him.”

Alright, Hiccup was done now. “Can we get back to the big important reason we called this meeting in the first place please?”

Tuffnut shrugged. “Suit yourself. But I believe that proves my point,” he added in Snotlout’s direction, to which Snotlout rolled his eyes.

Hiccup rolled his as well and turned back to Atali. “So you think they believed only the dragons were on the island?”

“Yes,” Atali began again slowly, eyeing Tuffnut a bit incredulously. She shook her head and turned back to Astrid. “Yes, they were shocked when they saw us at first. When we realized they weren’t aware of our presence, we tried to use that to our advantage. We were able to pacify a handful of the hunters, but one slipped away and alerted the lead.” She sighed. “And then the fighting began.”

“What was their approach?” Astrid asked.

“That’s the problem. They didn’t have much of one at all. Not a coordinated one, at least.”

“What do you mean?” Hiccup asked.

Atali shrugged. “Just that. They didn’t have a coordinated approach. Once the lead was made aware of our presence, he redirected the rest of the hunters’ attention to us and ordered them to attack. They were a little unsure, perhaps, but eventually they all redirected their attention to us.”

“Must be a small tribe, then,” Astrid mused aloud.

“Actually, we were vastly outnumbered,” Atali corrected.

Snotlout chuckled, but then saw how serious Atali looked and quieted. “Wait, are you serious?”

Atali nodded tiredly. “Actually, the fact that they vastly outnumbered us may have been the sole reason the fighting lasted for nearly three days.”

_ “Three days?” _ Tuffnut chimed in.

“Nearly, yes,” Atali confirmed. “Just when we would think we may have gained the upper hand, they would send out more hunters so the ones we were fighting could slip away. They found the Razorwhip mothers by the evening of the first full day. When the mothers started attacking, I was forced to direct the small group of Wingmaidens with the newborns to protect them. But the mothers seemed to startle enough of the hunters to allow us the upper hand again. Though each new wave of hunters would wear us down enough that we couldn’t seem to entirely overpower them.”

“‘New wave’? What do you mean by that?” Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup started pulling out a journal and some charcoal, scribbling notes as Atali continued to speak. “Initially, we thought they had a decent army at their disposal. But the hunters were easily frightened, and we began to think the fighting would be over quite quickly. But as hunters began retreating to the ship, more would disembark, in nearly the same numbers as had initially ventured onto the island. And the cycle repeated many more times throughout the day.”

“For Thor’s sake, how many fighters did they have?” Astrid asked.

Atali shrugged tiredly. “We lost count quite quickly.”

Hiccup shook his head as he looked down at the few notes he had. Immense numbers, easily frightened army, sending fighters out in waves rather than all at once, no coordinated attack pattern... It didn’t make any sense to him. He scrubbed his face with the heel of his left hand, charcoal still balanced between his fingers. “Okay, so how long did the fighting last, exactly? And where did... Where did Toothless come in?”

“Toothless?” Astrid gasped.

“Wait, Toothless was there?” Snotlout asked at the same time.

“You actually saw Toothless?” Tuffnut added in simultaneously.

“Did you say Toothless?” Fishlegs clarified, rounding out the chorus of shock. Ruffnut stood silently next to Fishlegs with her mouth slightly ajar.

“Let me explain,” Atali requested. As much as Hiccup wanted to hear about Toothless and how he fit into all of this, he couldn’t help but notice how worn Atali already looked. He started to suggest they take a break, but Atali pushed on anyway. “We continued fighting into the second day. We barely managed to keep ahead of the enemy, and if it wasn’t for the Razorwhip mothers fighting alongside us, we would have suffered a great defeat long before then. While trying to keep track of the mothers, since we knew that was what the enemy was there for, we realized one was missing. We feared they had captured her and fought harder against them. Minden decided to push her way to the ship to see if she could locate the missing mother.” Atali turned to Snotlout with apologetic eyes. “I am so sorry, Snotlout. Once she learned a mother was missing, there-”

“There was nothing you could do,” Snotlout quietly finished for her. He half smiled with tears in his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect any less from my Wingmaiden.”

Atali nodded solemnly, slowly continuing. “We barely got her off the ship before more Wingmaidens were injured as badly as she was. And with one of our best down, we started feeling a little... Hopeless. We tried to retreat into the mountain to regroup in the evening, but with how severe many of the injuries were, it was difficult. I nearly surrendered-” Atali’s voice cracked, and she bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Everyone was silent as a few tears escaped her eyes. Astrid and Hiccup shared a heartbreaking glance. Atali was one of the strongest people they knew. No one had ever seen her cry. No one had ever seen her upset, let alone this destroyed.

Astrid swiftly straightened and practically ran around the table, wrapping a gentle arm around Atali’s shoulders with a supportive squeeze. It took Atali a few moments to recover, but eventually she found the strength to continue. “I nearly surrendered for the sake of my tribe. In the hopes of saving what little we had left. Hoping they would be allowed to go free if I gave myself up. I had just started to walk out of the mouth of the cave when we saw the dragons flying in at an alarming speed. The missing Razorwhip mother was at the head of the group.” Atali looked directly at Hiccup. “Toothless was directly on her flank. And a group of Light Furies followed closely behind.”

“How did she find the Hidden World?” Fishlegs asked.

“Maybe Toothless wasn’t in the Hidden World?” Astrid suggested, sounding very unsure of herself.

Hiccup shook his head. “The Razorwhips were the only dragons that weren’t in the Hidden World. He wouldn’t exactly have a reason to be out and about.”

“Who said he needs a reason?” Tuffnut offered. “I mean, do I need a reason to walk around naked in my hut at night? Absolutely not.”

Zephyr, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs all made faces varying from disgust to horror; but Hiccup was too focused to pay attention to Tuffnut right now. “Mom? Any suggestions?”

Valka shrugged unhelpfully. “Well he’s your dragon. You know him better than any of us. You’d have the best guess.”

“He  _ was _ my dragon,” Hiccup painfully corrected.

Valka raised an eyebrow. “Do you honestly believe that, son? That he suddenly stopped being your dragon just because he isn’t with you?”

Hiccup gave her a look that said “you’re clearly not helping,” to which Valka shrugged again. She looked all too pleased with herself. So Hiccup sighed and wracked his brain for any sort of explanation. “Okay, well, obviously the Razorwhip went off to find help. Maybe she used a distress call, got close enough to the Hidden World that Toothless was able to hear it, and he rounded up some Light Furies. Makes enough sense. The Light Furies seemed to be an escort force of sorts. We always saw them leading and flanking dragons to the Hidden World when they used to fly over.”

“That still doesn’t explain how she knew where to go,” Fishlegs argued.

Hiccup rubbed his forehead with his fingers. “Instinct?”

“Maybe, but then why would the Light Furies have had to  _ lead _ all the other dragons to the Hidden World?”

“Uh... Maybe they weren’t, maybe they were solely protection?”

“Sure, but you’d think that if instinct could lead the dragons there, we’d have seen more rogue dragons making their way on their own.”

“We’ll talk through it later, ‘Legs. Atali, what happened when Toothless showed up?”

“Things went fairly quickly after that. The Light Furies gathered the Razorwhip mothers, and together they followed Toothless’ lead to run the hunters off the island or to various hideaways. Some went back to the ship they sailed on. We saw at least a handful attempt to swim to a small island nearby, but we aren’t sure if they succeeded. Eventually, the dragons either ran off or defeated enough of the attacking forces.” Atali’s eyes flickered to Hiccup, but then she dropped her head. “Toothless... We knew the babies were no longer safe after many of the hunters tried to take them directly from our backs. He called the mothers to take them. We had time for only brief goodbyes before helping them onto the mothers’ backs. Once the mothers were airborne, he and a few Light Furies managed to help us apprehend enough ships to hold my tribe. And then...” Atali paused and wiped another tear from her cheek. “And then they set the island ablaze.”

The room stilled to a haunting silence. A few glances were shared, but for the most part everyone simply bowed their heads.

Wingmaiden Island was destroyed. For the best, of course. The island held so many secrets of dragons, of Razorwhips specifically, that leaving it to this new enemy to raid would have been far too dangerous. Who knows what they could have found. But all the knowledge, the history and the entire culture of the Wingmaiden tribe was just  _ gone _ . Nothing was left but the spears and armor still scattered on the boats beneath New Berk, and the brave women who would be the last to ever fulfill the sacred duty they valued so much. And entire culture, the last connection between humans and dragons living in harmony in this world... It was all gone.

“Atali...” Hiccup breathed. “I.. I am so sorry. I can’t even-”

“It’s alright,” she quietly interrupted. “The safety of the mothers and babies, the wellbeing of my tribe... That is what is most important to me. I can only thank the gods we suffered no casualties on our side, nor the dragon’s.”

She could insist it was fine as much as she wanted; Hiccup still saw the gut-wrenching pain in her eyes. The kind of pain that could only be felt when making a decision to destroy the life you used to know in order to protect the people that counted on you, the people you loved. It was the same pain Hiccup felt when he uprooted his own tribe from their home of seven generations nearly twenty years ago. And Hiccup was sure she would never forget that pain, because those twenty years did nothing to dull his own pain.

Atali’s eyes filled with tears, and she dropped her head quickly.

Hiccup’s heart broke. He stood straighter, clearing his throat so his words sounded more sure and steady. “Council. All those in favor of absorbing the Wingmaiden tribe and offering them a home here on New Berk, either separate from our own or integrated into the Hairy Hooligans, whichever Chief Atali decides is best for her women, say ‘aye.’” The answer was obvious to Hiccup, and he knew the rest of Council would agree. But he had to offer up the official vote.

The former Riders rang out instantly with a strong if staggered chorus of “aye,” making Hiccup smile sadly.

Astrid squeezed Atali’s shoulders and whispered, “You’re family to us. Please don’t forget that.”

Hiccup turned to his mother.

“Aye,” she said.

He turned to Eret, who agreed with a strong, “Aye,” as well.

He turned to his daughter. “Zephyr? Your vote?”

Zephyr blinked. “Me?”

“Yes.”

She looked around at the expectant eyes falling on her. “But... I’m not a Council member.”

“You’re my successor,” Hiccup explained with a small smile. “And now that the announcement has been made officially, your opinion matters to us. If you have one, of course.”

Zephyr tried to shake off the shock. “Aye,” she said bewilderedly. “Yes. Of course.”

Hiccup nodded his head and turned to Atali, reaching up with his left hand to squeeze her shoulder supportively. “The only vote we’re missing is Gobber, but even if he did vote ‘no’ for whatever reason, he’s extremely outnumbered. You don’t have to answer now, but your tribe will always have a home here if you choose to accept the offer. You and I can work out details later, when you’re ready. But please, for now, at least accept my offer of sanctuary. We’ll get your women back to health and provide food and shelter for as long as you need.”

Atali swallowed and pursed her lips as tears fell freely down her cheeks. She threw her arms around Hiccup, who embraced her tightly back without hesitation. He tried desperately to hold back his own tears as she whispered, “Thank you, Hiccup.”

He smiled at her as she pulled back. “Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Is there anything else we should know now about the attack?”

Atali swiped at the tear stains on her cheeks. “One ship did try to follow us, but the Light Furies and Toothless held them back until we were out of sight. They are alright,” she added, seeing the worry in Hiccup’s eyes. “They caught up with us quickly. We saw the Razorwhips with them. Most of the Light Furies continued on, I assume to the Hidden World, with the Razorwhips in their protection. Toothless and two of the Light Furies guided us in the proper direction towards your island, and left when they were satisfied we were on the right track.”

Hiccup chuckled sadly. “That’s my dragon, alright,” he whispered, glancing to his mother who smiled back at him.

“Hiccup,” Atali continued, “I know they held off our attackers from following, but I still-”

“We’ll stay on high alert for a while, Atali. You have my word.” He lowered his head slightly and locked his eyes with hers. “You and your tribe have done incredible. Rest, take advantage of being under our care, and let me handle the protection for a while, alright?”

Atali sighed, but nodded. “Alright.”

Hiccup squeezed her shoulder again before turning to the rest of the room. “You heard the warrior. Snotlout, Eret, keep scouts patrolling the island at all times and keep that lookout tower maned. Make sure they report everything to you both, no matter how insignificant it sounds. We need to make sure we over analyze everything for a few weeks at least. Astrid, don’t hate me, but-”

“Wingmaiden-ambassador-duty?” she sighed with a knowing smile. “It’s alright, I knew it was coming.”

Hiccup smiled at her apologetically. “I love you.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Love you, too, I guess.”

He chuckled and shook his head at her while turning to Fishlegs. “You and I need to do some research, see if there’s anything we can find out about this new threat. We’ll have to start asking the Wingmaidens some questions once they're well enough if Atali will let us.”

“I’ll make sure the archives are ready,” he said.

“Tuffnut, how are we looking with supplies and all that?”

“Should be fine,” Tuffnut said slowly, clearly wracking his brain. “Now that everyone’s taken care of I need to do a full inventory though.”

“Let me know what you need after that, then. Everyone else, make sure the Wingmaidens have what they need, and come to me with any problems immediately. Anything else for the greater good?”

He gave everyone in the room adequate time to speak, but everyone shook their heads.

“Alright,” Hiccup sighed. “Dismissed.”

He waited a moment while everyone began to file out, keeping his eyes down on the map and notes he had in front of him. And then took a deep breath. He didn’t want to do this...

But he knew he had to.

“Zephyr. May I have a word with you?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her freeze at her name and slowly turn. A few of the others glanced back, making Hiccup wonder if they knew what was coming, but continued out of the meeting space. Astrid paused a little longer than the rest but eventually left with Atali.

Zephyr hesitated a moment before making her way back towards the table. He could tell she was holding her elbow in her opposite hand across the front of her body. It reminded Hiccup of the shy little Zephyr he knew from years ago, when she was still small enough to perch on his shoulder as they patrolled the village.

And how in many ways, she was still that shy little girl.

“You disobeyed a direct order,” he began, voice harder than he had intended, despite the crack in his voice on the first words.

“An  _ order? _ What do you-”

“Yes, Zephyr, an order!” He interrupted. His voice bounced off the walls and sounded even more intimidating, but he couldn’t bring his voice down. Was it really that loud? Or was it just that loud in his head? “I told you to take your brothers home, to find your mother and your sister, and protect them. And instead,  _ you argued with me in front of the whole tribe!” _

“I wanted to help!” Zephyr defended, stamping her foot like a child. Gods, she was just a  _ child _ .

_ She was a child. _ A child with no experience on the battlefield, with no idea what it’s like to see people that you knew from the time you could breathe fall next to you. She had no business running into a battle!

And that was why Hiccup screamed at himself that he had to do this. So he pushed himself to continue.

“And I told you how you could help! By taking your mother and siblings home! By protecting them  _ there!” _

“If they needed protection so bad, then why couldn’t Nuffink do it so I could help you?!”

“Because I didn’t need you there! It was only three ships, we had enough manpower to handle it!”

“Then why did they need me to protect them?!”

_ Gods, _ she was so  _ stubborn!  _ _ “Because that’s what I asked of you!” _

“I don’t understand why you didn’t want me there!”

Suddenly, Hiccup felt a blast of cold air chill his skin.

“Why couldn’t Nuffink handle them so I could stay with you?!”

_ He could hear the crunch of the snow at the base of the glacier beneath his feet. _

“I just wanted a chance to learn!”

_ He saw the black mass of fire and scales creeping steadily towards him, eyes decreased to savage slits. _

“If I’m going to be a chieftess, I need that experience!”

_ The high pitched screech winding up, the low gruff voice calling his name, a large figure jumping in front of him, the bright flash of purple- _

He slammed his fist on the table.  _ “DAMMIT, ZEPHYR, BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THAT DAY!” _

Zephyr froze in front of him.

“You are  _ fourteen years old, _ you will have plenty of time to get that experience.  _ After _ you’ve had the  _ proper training!  _ Sparring with Nuffink is  _ not _ the same as fighting a grown Viking to the death!  _ And we didn’t even know what was coming for us! _ We knew three ships were approaching the island and  _ that was it! _ _ I’M NOT SENDING MY DAUGHTER INTO A BATTLEFIELD, AND I SURE AS HEL AM NOT DOING IT BLIND!” _

He stood tall, breathing heavy. He noticed fear in his daughter’s eyes, because he  _ never _ raised his voice at his children, but he couldn’t soften it. He tried, but he couldn’t. All he could see was Zephyr falling amidst a flash of purple, too.

Just like his father did. At his own hands.

“Do you understand?” His voice was low and rough.

The room was silent.

_ “Do you understand me?!” _ He yelled, leaning towards her.

“Yes,” she squeaked just loud enough for Hiccup to hear.

His heart shattered at how weak her voice sounded. Oh, she was his Little Warrior, alright. She was the strong, confident girl he had raised her to be. Until the man who spent her whole life building her up shut her down in an instant.

He wanted to run across the room to her. To hug her, to apologize, to tell her everything was going to be okay, that he was just scared, that he believed in her but just wanted his baby girl to be safe. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t get the image out of his head. He couldn’t fight past the thought of her limp body, drained of blood and paler than the moon, eyes lifeless and chest still, mangled and laying in the middle of a battlefield because he wasn’t strong enough to put his foot down.

So instead, all he managed to saw was, “Dismissed,” his voice cracking and breaking as he breathed the two syllables. He kept his eyes closed and his head down, unable to face the pain in his daughter’s eyes. But it didn’t matter. Those pained eyes were already seared into his brain.

The room was still and silent long enough that Hiccup wondered if he had missed the sound of her footsteps retreating.

But then he heard her soft voice whisper, “I’m sorry, Daddy,” followed closely by her quick footsteps fading away as the door swung shut on its hinges behind her. Hiccup was able to hold his stance until he was pretty sure she had left the Great Hall entirely.

And then he collapsed into his chair. He groaned and caught his head in his hands, letting the pain eat him away. “Gods, Dad,” he cried and looked up to the sky, not bothering to wipe away the tears as they escaped his eyes. He deserved that pain. He deserved  _ more _ than that pain for what he just did to his baby girl. “Dad, how did you do it?”


	13. Waiting for the Next Strike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning/afternoon/evening lovely readers! We’re getting the chapter a little early today! I’m nannying every Friday now at least for the semester, so posting time will vary a bit as it’ll have to coincide with nap time. So expect the chapters to be posted sometime between 9 am to 11 am EST (which is about 1-3 hours earlier than normal). Also gentle reminder that next week will be the *last* weekly update before we switch to bi-weekly! Enjoy :)
> 
> ***EDIT: Due to some unexpected personal issues with my physical health on top of university work, I unfortunately won't be able to have the chapter ready by posting time. Sadly that means I have to move up the beginning of the switch to bi-weekly updates. So expect the next chapter 2 WEEKS from this one, instead of one (September 11). Since this was an unexpected change, I will post a teaser at the normal time on my Tumblr page: https://astrid-foreverythingelse.tumblr.com  
> So sorry for the sudden change, and I will see you all on September 11!

Astrid was exhausted. Her feet ached with each step, her back screamed with each twist and bend, and she was still trying to fight off some of that early-pregnancy nausea. But that didn’t matter. She could fight through it. She had to make sure the Wingmaidens were alright first. This baby was much kinder to her body than Nuffink had been anyway. She could handle it.

But after a week of running around and making sure they were all taken care of and nobody had developed fevers, even she had to admit that she was getting worn down. Of course she kept pushing herself, even when Hiccup had tried to tell her she’d done enough and needed to take it easy. But she already couldn’t help much with the war preparations; the only thing Hiccup let her do was sit in on the meetings and talk out the logistics. But the problem was, there weren’t many logistics to talk out. They knew nothing of this new threat. They didn’t know where they came from, what they were after (besides the obvious: dragons), what they know, or what resources they had at their disposal. In fact, the only thing they  _ did _ know was that they were down to one (albeit quite large) ship and had numbers of fighters that drastically outnumbered the Wingmaidens. Which, for a General who couldn’t complete any physical work, was absolutely maddening.

So to keep herself busy, she drowned herself in helping Tuffnut watch over the injured Wingmaidens. Though, if she was being honest, she couldn’t complain about the front row seat to Snotlout fawning all over Minden. It was nice to see how much he cared about her, to confirm how much they all thought he had matured over the years. And, if she was being honest, it was nice to see them reconnected after all the time they were apart. It had been so long since he was able to talk about the Wingmaidens at all, let alone Minden. And if Astrid knew anything about Snotlout’s feelings for her, well... She’ll just say that she would have been heartbroken if she had gone that long without seeing Hiccup.

Then again, the Wingmaidens all seemed very concerned for  _ Astrid _ , which made taking care of them a little more difficult.

A weak, scratchy voice sounded from behind her. “Astrid?”

She chuckled to herself. Speaking of concerned Wingmaidens... She turned to the voice and stepped inside the room it came from. “What’s up, Minden? Do you need something?”

“Need you to sit down, is all,” she said with a strained laugh from her bed.

“Why would you want that? I’m fine.” Astrid leaned over to fluff Minden’s pillow.

“I’m not stupid,” she argued. “I see that bump in your tunic.” She lightly poked Astrid’s stomach for emphasis when she leaned over Minden, but used a finger on her broken arm to do it, which made her suck in a breath through her teeth in pain.

Astrid smiled. “Remember that next time you try to tease me.”

Minden tried to smile. “Noted,” she said through her teeth.

Astrid shook her head. “Come on, let me see it.” She gently untied the cloth from around Minden’s neck that held up her arm, trying not to react to how terrifyingly ice-cold her skin was. “Stay still,” she chided when Minden tried to shift.

“Hard to do when you’re moving my arm that’s been snapped in half,” Minden bit back.

“Ah, minor detail,” Astrid breathed, keeping her focus on holding Minden’s arm as stable as possible. The bandage beneath the sling was alright soaked in red, enough that the sling was starting to mirror the red stain of the bandage. But the bigger problem was that the red was bright and shiny, which meant it was fresh. Astrid shook her head, concerned. “Minden, Tuffnut is going to have to change this bandage. It’s already soaked. When did he change this last?”

“Um... This morning?”

Astrid’s stomach turned. It was barely evening now. It shouldn’t be bleeding this much after a week.

Minden darkly chuckled once at Astrid’s silence. “Not great, I know.”

“No, no, it’s alright,” Astrid tried to reassure her. She knew she wasn’t convincing, though. “We’ll just have to try to wrap it tighter. Staunch the blood flow.”

Minden sighed and leaned her head back. “Don’t baby me, Astrid. I know I’m not in good shape. I see Snotlout’s face every time he walks in here.”

Astrid wasn’t exactly fond of where this conversation was going. “How are you two? You and Snotlout, I mean.”

Minden rolled her eyes, seeing right through Astrid’s distraction, but played along anyway. “It is nice to see him again. It’s been years.”

Astrid nodded her head, tying the sling behind Minden’s neck again. “He’s missed you.”

“Really?” Minden asked nonchalantly, but Astrid could have sworn there was an underlying hint of interest.

“Yeah, I think so. He gets all mopey when we talk about your tribe. Tuffnut brought you up once to tease him and Snotlout punched him in the face.”

Minden chuckled weakly. “Sounds like the Snotlout I know.”

Astrid nodded, turning her attention to Minden’s other injuries. “How’s the head?”

“Screaming.”

“That black eye looks a lot better though,” Astrid offered.

“Finally, some good news,” Minden quipped back.

Astrid smiled and shook her head. “Ah, I think you’ll be alright. We just need to get that arm fixed up and then you’ll be good as new.” Astrid straightened and put her hands on her hips. “Maybe next time don’t charge blindly onto an enemy ship by yourself, huh?”

Minden winced. “Atali told you about that?”

Astrid pulled Minden’s blanket up to her chin, gently tucking her in like she used to do to Spero when he had nightmares. “She told us all at the meeting. Snotlout was very proud, actually,” she added with a soft smile.

“Doesn’t mean much, he told me he was proud that I sneezed without wincing yesterday.”

“Hey, that  _ is _ impressive!” Astrid cheered. “Alright, I’m going to go check on-”

“Astrid, sit. Please. For my sake, so I can stop worrying.”

Astrid crossed her arms. “Are you really in any shape to be giving orders right now?”

“I could threaten to jump out of this bed,” Minden suggested.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. “Even if I believed you really meant that, do you really think you have the energy to  _ sit up, _ let alone jump out of bed?”

Minden shrugged her good shoulder. “Wouldn’t really be smart of you to leave and take the chance. So I guess you have to sit with me.”

Astrid sighed. “Fine. But only until Snotlout gets here.”

“Who said he’s coming?” Minden asked as Astrid settled in what has been referred to lately as Snotlout’s chair.

Astrid shrugged. “It’s almost dinnertime. He’ll be done for the day, and why would he go home to an empty house when  _ you _ are here?” She waved her eyebrows suggestively.

Minden rolled her eyes and kept them closed, but she smiled. “On second thought, you can go if you want.”

“And risk you falling out of bed? Oh, absolutely not.”

Minden chuckled again, but fell quiet after that.

Astrid took in how thin and fragile Minden looked even under the blanket. Somehow she looked even paler than she did when she first arrived at Tuffnut’s hut. After just that one conversation, she was entirely exhausted. Astrid wasn’t a healer, sure, but she wasn’t stupid either. This wasn’t good. No wonder Snotlout was here every free moment he had; he was probably terrified she’d pass and he wouldn’t be here to say goodbye...

Minden seemed to read her thoughts. “Astrid?” she asked again weakly.

“Yeah, Minden?”

Minden hesitated before she continued. “Be honest with me, because I know Snot and Tuff aren’t. It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Astrid bit her lip and bit back tears. “You’re going to be fine.”

Minden looked like she was going to cry too. “That’s not an answer,” she whispered.

Astrid didn’t know what to say. So she leaned over and grasped Minden’s uninjured hand instead. “You’re not going anywhere. Not if we have anything to say about it.”

Minden managed to open her eyes a little bit to look at Astrid. “Will Tuff really have to change this damn dressing already?”

Astrid smiled sympathetically. “I’m afraid so, yeah.”

Minden sighed and closed her eyes again. “I hate that. It hurts so much.”

Astrid gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll make sure Snotlout or I am here with you when he does it, I promise.” She smiled jokingly and added, “You can break my hand like I broke Hiccup’s when Zephyr was born.

She chuckled. “Poor guy. Lost a leg, broke a hand...”

“Hey, the leg was his own failed plan. The hand was payback for the months upon months I carried his daughter inside me.”

“Couldn’t have been that bad if you let him do it four more times after that,” Minden teased.

Astrid chuckled. “Yeah, well, he loved that little girl so much that I couldn’t resist when he asked for more.”

“Oh I’m sure it had nothing to do with you wanting more,” Minden sarcastically agreed.

“Definitely not, it was all him.” Astrid chuckled.

Minden smiled, but quieted until another thought occurred to her. “Have you spoken to Atali at all?”

“Here and there, yeah. Why? Has she not been in to see you?”

“No, no, she has.” Minden looked up to the ceiling. “I guess I’m just wondering what she’s planning for us. Where to go next, what to do without the Razorwhips. She won’t tell me. She doesn’t want to put unnecessary stress on me while I’m healing. I wondered if she spoke to you or Hiccup about any of it.”

Astrid pursed her lips. “We offered a home for all of you on our island, but no, she hasn’t said anything to us.” She shook her head slowly. “To be honest, I think she’s still in a little bit of shock after everything that happened. The best I can guess is that you will all be staying here until she decides, whenever that is.”

Minden started to say something, but then Snotlout walked in. “Hey, how’s my girl?” he said with a smile.

“A little sassy this evening,” Astrid replied for her, narrowing her eyes in Minden’s direction. Minden simply smiled in return.

Snotlout chuckled. “Good, then she’s still herself it sounds like. Mind if I take over?”

Astrid gave her one more supportive squeeze of the hand and stood, gesturing to the now empty chair. “She’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” Snotlout said, quickly walking to her side. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss to Minden’s forehead before taking a seat. She smiled at him fondly and lifted her good hand, which he immediately wrapped in his own. “Feeling any better today?” he asked quietly.

“Definitely. Ready to go out and fight those bastards that took our island again,” she smiled.

Snotlout chuckled. “Why don’t we leave the fighting to someone else for now, okay?”

Minden sighed playfully. “I’ll consider it. But only because you asked.”

“I can live with that,” Snotlout laughed.

Astrid smiled and touched her belly; suddenly she desperately missed her husband. “I’ll find out what I can for you, Minden, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Astrid,” she said. Astrid nodded her head and slipped out the door, but not before she heard Minden quietly ask if Snotlout would lay down with her again and keep her warm. By the gentle creaking of the bed, he must have given in to her. Astrid smiled. She’d have to tease him about that later.

But right now, she wanted her own man to wrap his arms around her.

She headed straight for home, figuring he’d be there by now judging by how low the sun was. Perhaps he’d started cooking dinner. It seemed to be his favorite way to shake off the stress of the day. 

But instead she found a fairly empty home, save a pouting teenage girl in the main room brooding in front of the fire. Astrid stifled a sigh. Well, she definitely knew how to set the mood in the room. “Hey Zephie, how was your day?”

Zephyr shrugged.

Oh boy. She was still mad, then. “What did you do today?”

Zephyr shrugged.

Astrid nodded slowly. “Alright, good talk... Is anyone else home?”

Zephyr shrugged.

Astrid took a deep breath.  _ Odin, give me strength. _ “Would you like to help me make dinner?”

Zephyr stood up and muttered, “I’ll be at the Great Hall,” and walked out the front door.

Leaving Astrid standing alone in an empty house. She huffed. “Alright. Yeah. Good talk,” she said to no one in particular. She wandered around the house for a moment. “Hiccup? Nuffink? Spero?”

No response. That’s odd.

Well, the boys could have been anywhere. But if her husband wasn’t home, then there was really only one other place on the island he could be. And she was willing to bet their sons were still stuck there too.

So she walked back out of their home and crossed the village, pulling her furs tightly around her. It was still a little early in the season, but the chill of winter was already creeping into the breeze. She prayed the gods would be merciful on them this year. Hiccup didn’t need any more surprises. Still, she gladly welcomed the warmth of the forge as she stepped inside the blacksmith’s stall.

And sure enough, Nuffink and Spero were closely watching their Grandpappi Gobber work away at a damaged bracing, probably for one of the minor pulleys scattered around the village if Astrid recalled the shape correctly.

Spero turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps, and his face lit up as his eyes found Astrid. “Hi, Mommy!” he cried, running up to her and throwing his arms around her waist. “And hi baby!” he added. He kissed the bump in her belly and laid his head against it as he hugged her.

Astrid’s heart swelled. She ran her fingers through his messy mop of dirty blond hair, already darkening from the lack of the summer sun. “Hey, little man. Are you two being good for Grandpappi?”

“Yes, Mommy. We learned how to make a gear today!”

“How exciting!” Astrid looked up to Nuffink. “Well, it sounds like you two had a big day today. Why don’t you head up to the Great Hall and get some dinner, huh? Zephyr is already there, and Grammie Valka and Willow probably are too by now.”

Nuffink turned to Gobber, who nodded. Nuffink smiled and jumped down from the bench he had been standing on. “Okay! Come on, Spero, I’ll race you!” Nuffink bolted out of the doorway without waiting for Spero to respond.

“Hey, no fair! I have little legs!” Spero yelled after him. He started running after his brother.  _ “Nuffink!” _ Astrid heard him whine once he was out of the door.

She chuckled and continued further into the warmth of the forge.

“He’s in there, lassie,” Gobber said, gesturing to the back workshop designated for Hiccup with his head.

She folded her arms across her chest and glanced back that direction, but continued walking towards Gobber. “How long has he been back there?” she asked quietly, not wanting Hiccup to hear.

Gobber shrugged. “Most of the day, I’d reckon.”

Astrid sighed. “Is he still beating himself up about Zephyr?”

“Probably.” Gobber sighed too. “The boy hasn’t spoken since he walked back there. I don’t think he even came out for a meal.”

Astrid rubbed her face with one hand. “He’s going to kill himself if he keeps working like this.”

Gobber set down the piece he was working on and leaned in towards her. “You and I both know he won’t listen to a word anyone says.” He pointed to her with his hook-hand. “No one but you.”

“That’s the problem, Gobber. He’s too worried about me and the baby to listen to anything I have to say.”

“Well if  _ you _ can’t get through to him, then Thor help us all.” Gobber picked the metal back up and looked it over. “He still respects ye, and he respects your opinion. Ye just have to-”

“I know, I know. Put my foot down and not take no for an answer. Make him listen.”

Gobber smiled at her. “Why are ye still here talkin’ to me, then?”

She smiled at him. “Thank you, Gobber.”

“For what, lass?”

She shrugged. “Everything.”

He nodded to her, and she turned to slip back into Hiccup’s workshop. She peaked in to find him hunched over the workbench, sitting down with his elbows holding scattered sketches to the wood, fingers locked in a death grip on his hair. She quietly knocked twice, not wanting to startle him. He jumped up a little anyway and spun around in his chair. “Hey, it’s just me,” she said. “You weren’t at home so I figured you’d be here. I just wanted to check on you.”

Hiccup’s brows pinched together. “It’s a little early for me to be home, isn’t it?”

Astrid crossed the room and laid her hands on his shoulders. “If you wait any longer, the sun might set before you get there, love.”

Hiccup blinked and looked around the room. “Is it that late?”

“It is.” She massaged his shoulders gently before draping her arms over them and resting her chin on his head. “Got a lot on your mind?”

Hiccup sighed, reaching up with his left hand to gently wrap his fingers around her arm and rub her skin softly with his thumb. “I guess, yeah. Have you seen Zephyr today?”

Astrid pursed her lips. “I did... Just before I came to find you, actually.”

Hiccup hesitated. “How, uh... How is she?”

Astrid hesitated too. “She’s fine.”

Hiccup groaned and flopped down over his desk, making Astrid wince at the light  _ thud _ his forehead made against the wood. “She hates me, doesn’t she?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Am I wrong?” he asked, his voice muffled by the desk.

Astrid started to tell him no, but the word caught in her throat.

“Exactly.” He sat up quickly and spun around. Astrid could see the regret and pain seeping out of his eyes. “What was I supposed to do, Ast? Just let her run all over me? She’s got a better start on fighting skills than I ever did, but she’s not ready for something like that! What if she had gotten hurt? What if she had been  _ killed? _ Ast, I’d never live with myself, I’d-”

“Hiccup, babe, slow down,” she asked, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m not disagreeing with you. You did the right thing. She’ll be fine.”

Hiccup stared at Astrid. He slowly sunk back down into his chair... And then he started to cry.

Astrid hadn’t seen him cry since the night after Nuffink was born too early.

“Hiccup...” she breathed. She pulled him against her chest, holding him tightly. “Hiccup, breathe, it’s okay...”

“You didn’t see her face, Astrid,” he choked. “You didn’t see her go so pale when she saw Minden. You didn’t see how she froze. She... She’s just a kid, she shouldn’t have to see that kind of stuff.”

“I know,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “I know, love.”

“You- You didn’t hear how small she sounded when I yelled at her. She’s never going to forgive me.”

“She will, just give her time.”

“But-”

“Hiccup, listen to me,” Astrid gently interrupted. She lifted his chin with her finger so he could look into her eyes and swiped away a tear from his cheek. “She has grown up admiring everything you do. She’s just a little hurt, but she’ll understand eventually. She’s got both of our prides combined, so only the gods know how long that’ll take,” she added with a smile, “but she will come around eventually.”

Hiccup chuckled sadly, but his face fell quickly again. “She won’t even look at me.”

“Then talk to her. Find a middle ground. Show her you still support her.” She leaned over to kiss his forehead. “She’s still your little girl. She still looks up to you, wants to learn from you. Show her you’ll give her that chance when she’s ready.”

Hiccup sighed, looking more tired than he had at any point in the last week. “I just want her to be safe.”

“I know,” Astrid said softly. “And some day, she’ll see that.”

Hiccup nodded absentmindedly, staring off at something behind Astrid’s shoulder.

She brushed his hair out of his face. “She’s not home right now, she went to the Great Hall for some food. I sent Nuff and Spero there too. Why don’t you and I head back and have a quiet meal together, huh?”

He considered for a moment before standing and wrapping his arms around her. She sighed happily and laid her head on his chest as he kissed her hair. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“I’ll even cook, if you want.”

“Oh, come on, don’t threaten me like that,” he teased.

She giggled and smiled up at him. He smiled back, if a little sadly, and stole a swift kiss from her lips. “Come on, let's get back before the kids do.”

Hiccup packed up his sketches fairly quickly, and then the start off to their home hand in hand. “How’s Minden?” Hiccup asked.

Astrid’s face scrunched up in uncertainty. “Better in most ways. Maybe not so much in others.”

He sighed. “Atali and Snotlout said the same thing today. I was hoping she had gotten better since then.”

“Me too.” She thought over her conversation with Minden again, and then asked, “Did Atali say anything to you about their next steps?”

“In Minden’s care?”

“No, if they’re staying or not.”

“Oh. No, she didn’t. Why? Did she say something to you?”

“No, Minden asked.”

Hiccup looked surprised. “She did?”

“Mhm. She said Atali isn’t bothering her with any of that until she gets better.”

They walked in silence for a moment before Hiccup asked, “Do you think she wants to stay?”

“Atali?”

“No, Minden.”

Astrid pondered that possibility for a moment. “Huh... Actually, that kind of makes sense. I mean, they  _ did _ spend most of their lives raising baby dragons from birth. Maybe she realized that’s not an option anymore.”

“And she’s looking for a new purpose,” Hiccup finished for her.

Astrid nodded slowly. “And maybe she found that new purpose in Snotlout...”

Hiccup nodded. “My thoughts exactly. I mean, at some point they’ll have to realize their tribe isn’t really sustainable the way it is now. They don’t have any men in their ranks.”

“Their recruitment approach was working great for them,” Astrid argued.

“I completely agree, it  _ was _ . But what would they be recruiting women for  _ now? _ They don’t have Razorwhips to protect.”

Astrid sighed. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

“All I’m saying is that maybe Minden sees that already. Maybe she’s already mourning the loss of that bond they always had with their baby Razorwhips.”

Astrid nodded, and then chuckled quietly. “Can you imagine Snotlout as a father?”

“Could you have imagined me as a father?” Hiccup teased.

“Actually, yes. I always did.”

Hiccup blushed before turning sad again. “Yeah, well, I proved you wrong there, didn’t I?”

“No, you didn’t,” Astrid sternly replied.

Hiccup was quiet after that all the way until they reached their home. He opened the door for her, and just as she moved to walk inside, something stark white caught her eye. She saw a large white falcon perched in a nearby tree looking around with something that looked like leather wrapped around its torso.

Astrid sighed. Now how in Thor’s name did Nuffink manage that? “Babe, remind me later to talk to Nuffink about attempting to dress animals, would you?” she asked as she pat his chest with her hand and walked inside.

“Uh... Okay?”

“Do you want to start cooking the yak chops and I’ll cut up the vegetables?”

“Oh, Ast, do you really think it’s a good idea for you to be using a knife?”

Astrid spun around on her heels. Hiccup’s face was already bright red and his eyes wide open. She crossed her arms. “So help me, if you won’t even let me use a  _ knife, _ the absolute smallest, least threatening sharp object there is, then you had better believe the minute this baby is out of me, I will take my axehead and plunge it through  _ your _ head.”

Hiccup swallowed. “So I’ll go start the yak chops, would you mind cutting the vegetables, milady?”

Astrid smiled pleasantly and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “What a great plan, babe!” She twirled again and practically floated to the small bench they used for food preparation.

She heard Hiccup chuckle behind her before he followed to prepare the meat.

But then Zephyr walked in.

Well, “walked” was a little...  _ Tame _ for the way she entered. “Stormed” was probably more accurate.

She stepped inside, saw Hiccup and Astrid standing there, and immediately started to walk up the stairs.

“Zephyr, sweetheart,” Hiccup called after her, “could you come here for a second?”

The footsteps continued up the stairs.

“Zephyr Stoick Haddock, do  _ not _ tell me you walked away from your father when he was talking to you!” Astrid yelled without looking up from the vegetables.

The footsteps paused, followed by a beat of silence, and then they slowly trudged back down the stairs. Zephyr stopped just barely within sight of where Hiccup and Astrid were standing and hugged her midsection. “Sorry, Mom,” she whispered.

Astrid only pointed to Hiccup with her knife before returning to her cutting.

“Sorry, Daddy,” she added.

Astrid could tell Hiccup was incredibly nervous; gods, he loved that little girl so much. He loved all of his children, of course, but the unique bond he had with each one of them was still something that made Astrid’s heart soar every day.

“Sweetheart...” he began shakily. He cleared his throat and started again. “I know you were really upset that you couldn’t help more last week after the warning sounded. It’s not that I don’t think you can do it. I just... I’ve seen a lot of things that you haven’t. And I worry about you. I worry that if you’re not properly prepared, that something will happen to you and it’ll be my fault.” He swallowed and took a deep breath. “But you are getting older. I was younger than you when my dad started me in dragon training, and I know we haven’t been able to give you much training in fighting yet. And that’s something that I will always struggle with, because no matter how old you get, you’re still my baby girl.”

Astrid stole a glance at Zephyr and saw tears welling up in her eyes. But she stayed still and tried to remain strong.

Hiccup must have seen it too, because he had to pause again before he was able to continue. “But I will work on it. Just like you have things you need to work on. That being said... I am willing to start training you on defense skills. And eventually, attacking as well. Both with weapons and in hand-to-hand combat.”

Astrid’s eyes started to widen before she was able to compose herself. Of all the things she thought he would do to try to mend things with Zephyr, this was not even close to something she imagined. And when she stole another glance at Zephyr, she could see her eyes were widening with surprise as well, no matter how hard she tried to keep her face stoic.

“I’ll even have each of the former Riders work with you one on one if they’re willing so you get a wide range of instruction. And hopefully, we’ll be able to pinpoint your strengths and your weaknesses.” He paused to take in her reaction before adding, “If you want to, of course.”

Zephyr froze as she reached for the words to answer. “Wait, are you serious?” she slowly asked. “You’ll really teach me? Like,  _ actually _ teach me to fight?”

“To  _ defend,” _ he quickly corrected. “And we’ll go from there. On one condition.”

Zephyr nodded with uncertainty.

“Until you’ve proven to me, your mother, and anyone that agrees to teach you that you have mastered the skills you need to join us in any sort of fight, defense, or  _ anything _ that we are faced with, you follow my every command  _ to the letter. _ No arguing, no talking back, no questioning. And if you can prove to me that you can do all of that... Then we’ll discuss how you can be more involved.  _ If _ and  _ when _ you prove that you can do  _ all _ of that. Understood?”

Zephyr stared at Hiccup in shock, searching his face as if looking for signs that he didn’t really mean the promise he was giving her. But when she was satisfied enough with what she saw, she slowly nodded. “Okay.”

Hiccup mirrored her nod. “Alright. Let me make sure everything is settled enough with the Wingmaidens, and then we can start in a few days. Deal?”

“Deal,” Zephyr softly replied, still hugging her stomach.

“Okay.” Hiccup gestured to the stairs with his head. “You can go ahead with what you were doing if you want.”

Zephyr nodded silently and started back up the stairs again.

Astrid cleared her throat; she hadn’t realized she was choking back tears. Damn baby mood swings were already getting to her. “Oh, hey, Zeph?” she called after her daughter. “If you see Nuffink, tell him I need to talk to him. I’m not  _ necessarily _ mad he tied some leather around a falcon, but I definitely want to know how he managed to snag it.”

“Wait, wha...?” Zephyr’s footsteps froze for a moment before they heard them tapping back down the stairs quickly. She poked her head around the corner. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“I saw a falcon right outside the door in a tree with some leather tied to its stomach. And I know it was Nuffink, because no one else on this island would even  _ think _ to do something like that. Let alone have the determination to go through with it.”

Zephyr’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What color was the falcon?”

Astrid raised an eyebrow. “Uh... White?”

Zephyr’s eyes flew wide open and she looked at the front door before bolting through it.

Hiccup and Astrid followed her with their eyes as she ran, not moving until they heard the door swing shut again behind her. After another moment of silence, Astrid asked, “So... Do  _ you _ know what that was about?”

Hiccup shook his head. “Nope. Not a clue.”

“Should we be worried?”

Hiccup pondered for a moment. “Probably not?”

Astrid pondered for a moment as well. “Agree to pretend nothing happened unless we hear about it again later from someone else?”

Hiccup nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

Astrid bit her lip. “Are you okay? That couldn’t have been easy for you.”

Hiccup didn’t need to ask what she was referring to. He stayed quiet, fiddling with the yak chops that didn’t need fiddling with for a while. Astrid let him gather his thoughts as she chopped the vegetables smaller than they already were. Eventually, he started speaking quietly. “I was talking to Gobber earlier in the forge today. I told him what happened with Zephyr and that I was terrified of something happening to her, because she didn’t have the skills she needed to defend herself. And I thought he was going to lecture me and tell me that I shouldn’t be so hard on her and blah blah blah. But he didn’t.” Hiccup chuckled softly. “Actually, he told me that he remembered having a very similar conversation with my dad about me. That dad had told him he didn’t know what to do with me because I was so different from the other kids, but I was still so stubborn and determined to do what they were doing. You know what Gobber told him?”

“What’s that?” Astrid asked quietly, knowing he didn’t need an answer but still wanting to assure him she was listening closely.

Hiccup laughed incredulously. “He said, ‘Put ‘im in trainin’ with the others.’ Gobber’s the reason Dad finally agreed to put me in dragon training. He told my dad that I was stubborn enough to do what I wanted no matter what. That I was going to go do the things he always told me I shouldn’t because I had to show my worth. So he said that if Dad couldn’t stop me, he might as well prepare me.” Hiccup sighed. “And I know Zephyr is every bit as stubborn as I was. Thank the gods it’s in slightly more  _ productive _ ways, but still. So... If I can’t stop her, I might as well prepare her.”

Hiccup let his hands still, laying them on the table in front of him. Astrid put down her knife and grabbed one of his hands. “It’s good advice,” she reassured him.

Hiccup shook his head. “It doesn’t feel right.” He sniffed. “I mean, I feel like I’m just handing her over willingly to whatever dangers are coming our way. And I don’t even know what those dangers are!”

“But if you start now, then at least she’ll be able to protect herself when they do get here.” She cupped his cheek and turned his head towards her, letting him rest his forehead against hers. “You can’t protect her forever.”

Hiccup chuckled sadly. “I can damn well try.”

Astrid smiled. “I know, love.”

Hiccup sighed. “I just want to hug her. And say sorry. But she has to know, right? She has to know she’s gotta be more careful?”

“Yes, she does. You’re doing the best you can for her, love.”

The front door suddenly slammed open, making Astrid and Hiccup jump. Zephyr ran past the room before skidding to a stop and retreating far enough to look Astrid in the eye. She looked like she was holding leather in her right hand. “Uh, don’t bother Nuffink about the whole bird thing, I got it covered. Night, love you.” And with that, she ran back up the stairs.

Hiccup sighed. “So, still pretending nothing happened?”

Astrid nodded. “Sure, sounds good enough to me.”


	14. Ally in Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! Welcome back!!! And THANK YOU all so so much for being so understanding and supportive with the last minute posting schedule change, y'all are absolutely fantastic :) thanks to my awesome beta Permanent Guest as always for your incredible input this week. And welcome to Mr. Crocodile to my beta team, who helped a hell of a lot with this chapter too!  
> Fair warning, this is the first chapter where that "mature" rating and some of those tags really come into play! Enjoy :)  
> ***TW: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Combat, and Death; Adult Language***

Eirson didn’t do well with conflict. It was something he always struggled with, and something he knew he would have to overcome eventually. Most people on Outcast Island knew this, especially Alvin. It was the reason why his father had torn the village to shreds over spreading rumors and criticizing Eirson’s place in the village during a meeting when Eirson was twelve. Alvin had always done everything in his power to protect Eirson. Eirson knew it was how his father showed his love.

He fell back into his bed and rubbed his eyes. It had been a rough day, and he was excited to sleep for as long as his dad would let him. In the two weeks since Zephyr’s announcement celebration, things had been a little strange around Outcast Island. The sail back alone was nearly a week, but once they did finally return to Outcast and news of the Haddock successor spread, people started talking about  _ Alvin’s  _ successor too. Again. Apparently the shock of the Haddock announcement overshadowed that memory of the public beratement enough to get people talking again.

Eirson wasn’t sure how he felt about all that. He was older now, and more accepted by the tribe than he used to be. The older he grew, the more he resembled his father, which meant the rest of the tribe gradually began to accept that he truly was an Outcast, whether his mother had been or not. Which, admittedly, put him in a better position in his tribe than Zephyr was with hers. But they still loved to gossip, which didn’t make things any easier for Eirson.

He sighed. Yes, he knew he didn’t do well with conflict. But today was not the day to overcome that. So instead, he distracted himself by focusing on the words he had sent in the letter to Zephyr. 

_Zephyr,_ _  
__Hopefully Aurboda finds you on her first try. Your island is only the second that I’ve tried to train her to deliver letters to, so I’m still not sure if the way I trained her worked or not. If she does make it back to you though, please give her a day or two to rest and explore the island. She’ll come back to you once she finds you, so don’t worry about letting her roam. She’s just looking for food._ _  
__I also wanted to apologize. I know the gift I gave you was unexpected, but I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to show you that I didn't mean you any harm and that I meant what I said at the treaty signing. You would be an incredible ally and an even better Chieftess. I don’t mean you any harm._ _  
__If Aurboda makes it back to you, please send her back with a letter answering this question so that I know it’s you: What happened after the treaty signing?_ _  
_ _-Eirson_

He had sent Aurboda to New Berk with it a few days ago and was expecting her back anytime with Zephyr’s response. Well, hopefully, at least. Assuming his training worked well enough. He just hoped the letter wasn’t too... Too...

Eirson sighed. He just hoped the letter didn’t make things worse.

He groaned and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Well, this wasn’t helping his state of mind.

“Rough day?” a gruff voice asked from part way up the loft stairs.

Eirson jumped and sat straight up in bed, turning to find his father staring curiously at him with one eyebrow raised.

He raised his hands in surrender. “Jus’ yer old man, son.” He turned with a groan and started walking back down the stairs with a bit of effort.

Eirson sighed. “Well, the  _ old _ part is definitely showing,” he muttered sarcastically to himself.

“Wha’ was that?” Alvin asked over his shoulder.

“Uh, I just said sorry, Dad. I guess I was pretty lost in my thoughts.”

“Haddock girl again?” Alvin huffed between groans. His knees must have been bothering him again. Although, his right hip had been giving him a lot of trouble as well...

Eirson pulled himself out of bed and followed his father down the remaining stairs. “Oh, you know, just worried if Bodi made it to New Berk or not. First trip on her own, and all.”

Alvin huffed a chuckle. “Skipped over the Haddock girl, I see.”

Eirson rolled his eyes. “Sit down, old man. I’ll bring you some stew.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alvin waved him off, but he was smiling when he sat down. “I’m tellin’ ya, son, if you don’t make your move now, you’ll regret it.”

Eirson chuckled and rolled his eyes as he turned his back to his father, stirring the stew that was gently boiling over the fire. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he sighed.

Alvin huffed a chuckle. “Deny it all ye want, yer not hiding anything from me.” Eirson heard the chair groan as Alvin settled into it and sighed. “Maybe if I hadn’t waited so long with yer mother, she’d still be with us.”

Eirson quietly scooped some stew into two bowls as his father’s words sank in. Suddenly, he desperately wanted to sail back to New Berk. For unrelated reasons, of course. Entirely separate from this conversation.

But as he bit his lip and turned to gently hand the steaming bowl to his father and fetch a spoon, he couldn’t help quietly asking, “Why do you say that?”

Alvin shrugged and started slurping the broth from his bowl like a large cup. He audibly swallowed, and Eirson shook his head as he laughed internally and slid the spoon into his own bowl instead, waiting for Alvin to continue. Alvin smacked his lips for a moment while he collected his thoughts. “Ah, I dunno. She woulda been younger, probably woulda handled things better. Woulda had more time to plan and get things ready. Point is, you need to learn from my mistakes. No sense making the same ones that have already been made.”

Eirson smiled teasingly as his father over his bowl of stew. “Hard to do when you don’t tell me what they were.”

“Feh,” he rolled his shoulders and drank more of his stew. He chewed the vegetables and swallowed before saying, “Always remember, son, a man should never sail alone.” Alvin swallowed the rest of his bowl and held it out to Eirson. “Fill me up again, would ye?”

“Sure, Dad.” Eirson took his bowl and scooped him another serving.

_ A man should never sail alone. _ Eirson shivered. He almost didn’t want to ask what his father meant with that advice. Or, more importantly, how it was related to his mother.

They ate the rest of their meals in silence, as was typical when Eirson’s mother came up in conversation. It was always a heavy silence that meant different things to them, but carried the same kind of somber energy. Still, it didn’t make the silence any more comfortable between them; sometimes it made things even worse.

Not long after, Eirson couldn’t handle the silence anymore. He cleared his throat. “So... how was Chiefing today?”

“Can’t complain,” Alvin replied.

Eirson nodded. “Did you find out anything else about that ship Keldon saw?”

“Nah, it sailed past the island headed south. Didn’t even consider stopping, if he’s right.”

Eirson swallowed a mouthful of stew. “What was Keldon so worried about, then? I mean I know there’s not a lot of ships that sail past here, but it’s not unheard of either.”

Alvin thought for a moment. “He said the size of it was odd. Much bigger than anything else he’s seen sail by. Nothing like anything else he’s seen ‘round here.”

“Maybe it was blown off course?”

“Apparently it was, ah, what did he say... ‘Far too large to be blown off any course not headed for us intentionally.’ Personally, I think he’s being a bit paranoid.”

“Paranoid” wasn’t exactly a word Eirson would use to describe Keldon. But he trusted his father’s judgement. The Outcasts and their allies hadn’t been threatened since the first years of Eirson’s life; it seemed silly to try to make something out of nothing now, not without proper suspicions. So they fell back into silence again, growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

Which is why Eirson sighed in relief when he heard a curious  _ squawk _ sound from his loft.

Alvin nodded approvingly. “Sounds like yer bird made it back. Wonder if she found New Berk.”

Eirson tried not to jump up too quickly. “Only one way to find out,” he said, setting his bowl down on his chair and bounding up the stairs.

He found Aurboda patiently perched on his windowsill. She squawked again when she saw him, flapping her wings as if showing off the message that was tied around her body. And much to Eirson’s pride and relief, the cover had been switched out from the dyed black leather to the regular brown she was also sent with. “Good girl, Bodi,” he said, scratching her head with one hand as he lifted the message off with the other. “I knew you could do it.”

Aurboda ruffled her feathers, obviously quite pleased with herself. Eirson chuckled at her and shook his head as he sat down. His desk sat directly next to the window, with the top right corner encroaching on the windowsill’s space. Eirson had built a small perch for Aurboda and secured it to that corner of his desk. She used it often, after long flights especially, to rest in safety; once Eirson sat down, she hopped to her perch and puffed her feathers out. She quickly settled in and closed her eyes, entirely still outside of the rhythmic swelling and deflating of her body with each breath.

Eirson smiled at her as he unraveled the leather and letter. He took a deep breath and began reading.

_ Eirson, _ _  
_ _ Ha-ha, very funny. After the treaty signing you followed me into the woods and saved me from accidentally running off of a cliff. Are you always going to hold that against me? _ _  
_ _ You’ve trained Aurboda impressively well. Not only did she find New Berk, but she perched outside of my house and waited patiently for me to call for her. I assume from the timing that you waited until you made it back to your island before sending her, so I think it’s safe to say your training method works. I trust she won’t get lost finding her way back to you. _ _  
_ _ About the necklace. It was an amazing gift, and I am sorry for reacting the way I did. I guess it just surprised me. But that is no excuse. I believe you don’t mean me any harm. If you did, you would have let me run right off that cliff, and I see that now. It’s nice to have a friend. I haven’t had many of those before. _

Eirson sighed heavily in relief. He hadn’t burned the bridge between them. That was a good sign. She even called him a  _ friend. _

But then her letter continued.

_But I thank Thor Aurboda came when she did, because I have important news for you and your father. Shortly after you and the other guests left our island, the Wingmaiden tribe arrived in three stolen ships. They were attacked by an unknown threat that managed to entirely destroy their village and their island. My father offered them refuge on our island, as well as a permanent home here if they wish. We don’t know much about their attackers, only that they must be looking for dragons. They are quite large in number. Atali said that they easily outnumbered the Wingmaidens. But we don’t know where they came from, who they are, or what they’re doing here. Please inform your father. We don’t know what they know, and I’m afraid another ally could be next. Please, be careful and on high alert. I fear for your safety._ _  
_ _-Zephyr_

Eirson’s stomach dropped. Suddenly, the very large and unusual ship that sailed by a few days back seemed like a much more frightening omen.

He let the parchment flutter to the desk as he jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over and startling Aurboda as he ran for the stairs. “Dad?!” he cried, “Are you sure that ship isn’t a threat?”

Alvin looked at him with a bewildered expression as he bounded into the main room, breathing heavy. “What’s wrong, son?”

“Zephyr’s letter. The Wingmaidens, they- they were attacked.”

“What?” Alvin tried to stand, but ended up falling against the back of his chair when Eirson moved closer to him.

He tried to collect his thoughts through the pounding in his ears. He should have just brought the letter down with him. “The-the Wingmaidens arrived to New Berk after the announcement, they were on stolen ships, they had to steal the ships to escape, their island is gone, they’re-”

“Son, slow down,” Alvin requested. “Slow down, sit next to me.”

Eirson paused, processing his father’s request, and sat in a chair beside Alvin’s. He focused for a moment to get his breathing under control.

Alvin reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “Now, what d’ye mean they had to steal ships to escape?”

Eirson tried again. “Zephyr said their island was attacked, and they were outnumbered. That they stole ships and escaped the island, but their island is destroyed. They were looking for dragons, and Zephyr is afraid another ally is next.”

Alvin nodded slowly, taking in this information.

But not quick enough for Eirson’s liking. “Dad, that ship that sailed by-”

“Now, don’t be making any crazy suggestions like that,” Alvin stopped him. “We haven’t seen that ship since it sailed  _ past _ our island.”

“But, Dad-”

“Son, relax. Take a deep breath. We’ll call a council meeting in the morning to decide what to do.”

“But, Dad, what if that ship-”

“That ship is long gone by now. It’s alright.”

He wanted to argue again, but he saw the look in his father’s eyes. His mind was made up.

His eyes softened for a moment, though. “You’ve had a hard day, son. Why don’t ye turn in for the night? Get some rest so you can help me lead the meeting tomorrow.”

Eirson looked over his father’s face again, still unsure. “You really think that ship wasn’t a threat?”

Alvin smiled and patted his shoulder. “I’d bet me life on it.”

“And that this can wait until tomorrow?”

“That I do.”

He looked one more time for a sign his father was lying, but he couldn’t find it. He looked as sure as ever. So Eirson nodded slowly in return. “Okay... Okay. Yeah, I’ll get some rest, then.”

“Good,” Alvin smiled. “I think your old man might turn in early as well.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Go on, get some sleep.”

_ If only it were that easy, _ Eirson thought. But he nodded and climbed the stairs again to his room. He pulled off his furs and draped them over the back of his chair, trying not to glance down at Zephyr’s letter. But when that didn’t work, he busied himself with unraveling the purple-colored leather cover, stacking it with the black-colored and plain leather covers, and tying them back up. As much as he wanted to send Aurboda back with a response now, he knew she needed a few days of rest. He’d work on a letter to her tomorrow after the meeting.

The meeting that he was apparently helping his father lead.

Suddenly Eirson felt  _ extremely _ tired.

He pulled his tunic over his head and threw it over his furs. Sighing, he collapsed back into his bed, too tired at first to pull the blankets over himself. But then the chill of the room became a bit too chilly, and he willed himself to slip beneath the furs of his bed. He drifted into a fitful sleep not long after.

* * *

Eirson woke suddenly to the sound of crashing and screaming outside. He laid still for a moment, wondering if it was a leftover sensation from a dream, and willed his heart to slow down. But the sounds kept going.

_ What in the name of Hel? _ He jumped out of bed and threw his clothes on as he ran down the stairs.

He threw open the door as he heard Alvin struggling to get out of his own bed in the back of the hut. And he wasn’t sure what he expected, but he knew he wasn’t prepared for what he saw.

Crazed men and women that he didn’t recognize ran rampant around the village, slashing axes and swords into anything in their path, eyes wide and hair matted, smiles gleaming on their faces as they laughed maniacally. Outcasts,  _ his people, _ some of the most fearless and formidable Vikings he had ever known, screaming in terror as they tried to fight back or run.

And worst of all: Outcasts falling in pools of their own blood all around, with far too few of the attackers falling next to them.

_ “Shit!” _ Eirson ran back into the main room, looking for his sword. Alvin’s jaw dropped as he joined Eirson and saw the carnage happening outside the door.

“Odin help us,” Alvin breathed. “I was wrong. I was so wrong.”

“Dad, who the fuck are these people?” Eirson asked breathlessly. “I’ve never seen anyone fight like that! They’re, they’re... They’re inhuman!”

Alvin didn’t answer. He just stared out the door.

“Dad?”

Alvin didn’t move.

“Dad!”

Alvin met Eirson’s eyes. And then moved more suddenly than Eirson had seen him move in years.

He slammed the door shut and grabbed Eirson’s arm, pulling him back into the darkness of the back room and under the cover of the stairs. “Eirson, I need you to listen to me, and listen closely. Find the sailing apprentices. Osmond is the oldest, you know him, right?”

“Yeah?” Eirson confirmed, very confused.

“Good. Find him and the rest,  _ carefully, _ try not to get tangled up in a fight with any of these crazed fools, and then get anyone that you can to the northwest corner of the island. There are a couple ships docked there, load one up with whoever you can, women, children, elders, injured, I don’t care. Get as many people as you can on that ship, and get out of here.”

Eirson’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Son, do as I say.”

“And what are you going to be doing exactly?”

“Buying you all some time.”

Eirson’s heart stopped. “Dad...”

“No questions. Do as I said. Go, we don’t have a lot of time.”

“But Dad-”

“Eirson, go,” Alvin insisted. He grabbed his shoulders tightly as his eyes bored into Eirson’s. “You’ll be okay. Sail north, go around the eastern side of Screaming Island, alright? Take the pass between there and Shivering Shores, that’ll take ye westward. Sail to Old Berk, Hiccup keeps a stock of emergency supplies there in the Great Hall, you remember where that is, yeah?”

Eirson’s eyes stung with tears. “Dad...”

Alvin sighed as if he was holding back tears himself. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, son. But you can do this. You’ve got your mother’s  _ hugr _ with ye. And I need you to preserve as much of this tribe and you can. They’ll follow you. I know they will.”

And then Alvin crushed Eirson to his chest, catching Eirson off guard.

“Make me proud, son.”

And then Alvin was shoving Eirson’s sword into his hands and pushing him out the back door, dragging him along until they found Osmond, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back into the shadows, ordering him to follow Eirson’s lead, and running off.

And just like that, his father was gone.

“Eirson, what’s going on?”

His father was running off to his death.

“Eirson?”

Eirson turned to Osmond.

His father was asking him to preserve his tribe.

Something clicked in Eirson’s head. Maybe he was just repeating what his father said to him earlier. Maybe he really did have some instinct deep down to lead. But whatever it was, he wasn’t about to question it. “We’re escaping with whoever we can. When you see the other sailing apprentices, tell them the same. Grab anyone you can, women, children, injured, elders, anyone who’s still alive, it doesn’t matter. Load everyone onto one ship in the northeastern boatyard. We push off as soon as we can, so don’t take long.”

Osmond nodded and ran off without another word.

And Eirson took off in the opposite direction.

He felt numb. He just threw around orders as he came across people. He grabbed children and pushed them into the arms of any nearby Outcast that was able to carry them and sent them off. Many of the men caught wind of what they were doing and distracted the crazed Vikings so they could get away. Everything just fell into place, and yet the whole island was going up in flames at the same time. Everything was perfect, but everything could not have been worse.

He scooped up two little girls, both probably about five years old, and ran back into the shadows just like he had done over and over through the night. Breathing heavy, he tried to shush them and calm them and tell them everything was okay despite everything in his brain screaming at him that  _ none of this is okay. _ He looked around and found a man who looked to be a few years older than Eirson hiding behind a nearby building, looking just as frightened as Eirson felt as he occasionally peaked around the corner.

He’d have to do. “Alright, girls, you’re going to have to trust me, okay? Stay quiet so the mean people don’t find us, got it?”

The girls both nodded and silenced themselves.

Eirson took their hands and pulled them along, sneaking back into the trees. Thankfully, this end of the village was quiet, albeit unsettling from the bodies littered across the ground. But it was much easier to jump from hideout to hideout than it had been near the village center where the bulk of the fighting was.

As they closed the distance to the man, Eirson picked up a stone and threw it his direction to catch his attention. He spun and locked fearful eyes with Eirson, who waved him over. But the man didn’t move. Eirson tried again, but the man still didn’t move.

Eirson groaned and then turned to the girls, nudging them behind a bush. “Stay here, don’t move.” They knelt down as Eirson turned back to the man, glancing around to check for enemies before joining him.

He stiffened as Eirson fell against the building he was hiding behind. “What’s your name?” Eirson asked.

The man sputtered, “What?”

“I’m Eirson, son of Chief Alvin, but I’m sure you know that already. But I’m sorry, I don’t recognize you. What’s your name?” He hoped spelling everything out for the poor guy would give his head a chance to catch up.

The man blinked, but after a pause, said, “Me? I’m... Uh... I-I’m Halvor.”

Eirson nodded, slowly catching his breath. Gods, this guy was not prepared to fight. Although, neither was Eirson. “Nice to meet you, Halvor. I need your help.”

“My help?”

“Yep, your help. I’ve got two scared little girls hiding back in the trees. I need you to carry one and follow me. There’s a group of more Outcasts waiting on a ship in the northwest shipyard, they’ll be safe there. And so will you.”

Halvor looked paler than the moon. “Outcasts...?”

_ Thor Almighty, he must really be in shock, _ Eirson thought. “Well, we wouldn’t want to invite the enemy, now would we?”

“N-no, no, sir.”

“Alright, so can you help me?”

The man looked back to the trees, over towards the village, and then back to Eirson before nodding.

“Great, then let’s go.” He grabbed Halvor’s arm and ran into the trees after glancing at their surroundings for enemies. He wasted no time picking up one of the girls and handing her to Halvor before scooping up the second girl and holding her to his chest. “Stay close, we gotta move.”

Halvor nodded and mirrored Eirson’s hold on the girl. And then they ran as hard as they could through the forest.

* * *

“I think this is the best we’re going to get,” Osmond grimaced.

Eirson scanned the new inhabitants of the ship. Most of them were young children, women Eirson’s age and slightly older, and elders. And as much as he wanted to gather more of his tribe, he knew they couldn’t stay much longer. Every moment still spent on the island was a greater chance they would be captured, and all of their effort would’ve been for nothing.

But he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that maybe he could save more.

More specifically, maybe he could save his father.

“Get ready to push off,” Eirson ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for confirmation, Eirson turned on his heels and ran, ignoring Osmond calling after him in confusion.

_ Please let him still be alive, let him be alive, Odin please let him be alive... _

Eirson burst through the trees without thinking, but instantly dug his heels into the ground. He fell backwards and scrambled back into the shadow of a building as his heart stopped.

A terrifyingly large dark-haired man stood over his father, who was being forced to kneel by two more sneering men. The dark-haired man was in rough shape; one sleeve of his tunic was torn off, revealing a maze of scratches and scars and streaks still glistening with fresh blood. His hair was tied back and he had a cloth bandage wrapped around his head. The white was soaked through with dark red and seemed sunken into his head where Eirson assumed his left eye  _ used _ to be. He gripped the wood of a bow in his left hand, and when he moved Eirson could see the feathers of arrows peaking above his shoulder from a quiver on his back. Outcasts and attackers alike shied away from the man, which only made Eirson fear him more; his  _ own people _ refused to stand any closer to him than they had to. All but the two men holding his father at his knees, and two additional men that flanked the leader’s right and left sides. He spoke with a deep, scratchy voice that sent chills down Eirson’s spine.

“So,” the man sneered, “are you the infamous Dragon King?”

Eirson had to physically stop himself from vomiting.  _ Dragon King. _ He was looking for  _ dragons. _ They had to be the same tribe that attacked the Wingmaidens.

Alvin had to realize that as well.

Alvin was quiet for a moment, but with his back to Eirson, he couldn’t see what his face looked like.

And then Alvin began to laugh.

Eirson saw the man’s mouth twitch, but he composed himself.

“Dragon King?” Alvin laughed. “You’re looking for the  _ Dragon King? _ Son, I don’t know who fed you that old legend, but no Dragon King walks these lands.”

The man didn’t move. He simply stared at Alvin with the same sickening smile. Until he slowly reached behind his head and painstakingly slipped an arrow from the quiver. Eirson’s attention was distracted for a moment when he noticed all of the attackers nearby cower as their leader nonchalantly notched the arrow in his bow. Not once did the man blink, not once did his body move outside of his arms, and not once did his eyes leave Alvin.

He lowered his head slightly and smiled wider. “Quite unfortunate that I believe you’re lying to me. And I suggest you stop that immediately.”

Eirson’s heart pounded in his ears as he strained to hear his father’s reply.

Alvin laughed again and sighed. “I can’t say I blame ye, you’re not the first poor soul to come lookin’ for a ghost. Dragons used to fly freely here, but they were hunted to extinction decades ago. Maybe your ‘Dragon King’ retired in Valhalla, eh?”

_ Dad, what are you doing?! Stop provoking him! _

The man smiled wider. “Oh, now, that’s not true. I know for a fact my tribe stumbled upon some of those flying beasts just a few weeks back.” The man pulled back slightly on the arrow. “Which means that now I  _ know _ you’re lying.”

It took all of Eirson’s strength to keep his legs stable beneath him.  _ The Wingmaidens. The Razorwhips _ .

Alvin shrugged. “Think what ye will. I ain’t seen a dragon with me own eyes, so I say they’re gone.”

The man’s shoulders bounced once in a humorless chuckle.

And then he fully pulled back his arrow and shot Alvin in the leg at close range.

Alvin cried out, and Eirson lunged forward. But just before he managed to leave the shadow of the hut, two strong arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him back.  _ No, no, no, this can’t be happening, this can’t be-! _

“Sir, no, you can’t let ‘im see ye!” a voice whispered in his ear; he barely recognized it belonging to the Outcast he didn’t recall from earlier. “It’s not worth ye being caught too.”

Eirson continued to struggle. “That’s my father! He can’t-!”

“He can, and he will, sir,” Halvor begged. “He’s a madman. And ye have a ship full of people waitin’ for ye. Of children an’ women an’ defenseless injured folks that need a leader. Sir,  _ you _ are that leader. I beg ye, be smart about this.”

The madman stepped closer to Alvin and spit, “Change your mind yet, old man?”

Eirson’s blood boiled with rage. He threw off the boy’s arms and spun around to face him. “What, so I just  _ let _ him torture  _ my own godsdamned father?!” _

Halvor looked pained. “I... Yer people need ye, sir,” he choked.

“This is your last chance!” the madman yelled, making Eirson spin back around. He looked angry now, and Eirson wondered what it was his father said to him. Whatever it was, the madman suddenly had another arrow notched and pulled back. “If you’re hiding something, then your people must know it, too. Speak, or let your tribe suffer the consequences!”

Alvin slowly lowered and shook his head. Eirson could barely see him chuckle.

_ No... No, Dad, don’t- _

Alvin spit on the man’s boots. “Try me,  _ skreyja sansorðinn.” _

The entire island stilled to unsettling silence.

Eirson didn’t do well with conflict.

Eirson’s heart stopped when the madman’s eye lit with a rage unlike anything he had seen before.

It was something he had always struggled with.

He let the arrow fly from his fingers without a twitch of regret, the snap of the string making Eirson nauseous.

Most people on Outcast Island knew this, especially Alvin.

The arrow struck Alvin directly through his heart, cleanly slicing out of his back. Blood seeped from the wound and he gasped in pain. He froze like that, looking up to the sky as the men holding him down quickly stepped back.

Alvin had always done everything in his power to protect Eirson.

As if the arrow wasn’t enough, the madman unsheathed his sword and cleanly severed Alvin’s head from his shoulders in one fluid motion. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Eirson choked on air and fell to the ground. His vision blurred, his ears suddenly felt stuffed with wool. The village square before him grew smaller and smaller as darkness engulfed him.

Eirson didn’t do well with conflict.

_ Snap. _ The arrow left the string.  _ Thwick _ . The arrowhead pierced his father’s chest.  _ Augh. _ Alvin gasped his final breath.  _ Shhhhh. _ The sword left its sheath.  _ Thud. _ Alvin’s head hit the ground. It just kept repeating, running circles in Eirson’s head.  _ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud. Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud. Snap. Thwick -  _

“Sir!  _ Sir!” _ Halvor’s voice drifted in through the haze, but he sounded so far away. “Sir, we have to move!”

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

“Sir, I beg ye! Ye have to give me a hand here!”

Eirson didn’t do well with conflict.

“Come on, sir, move yer feet, one step at a time, please!”

Alvin had always done everything in his power to protect Eirson.

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

_ Thwick _ .

Eirson snapped to attention when an arrowhead sunk into a tree trunk near his head. A bird screeched above him, and he looked up to see stark white feathers circling against the darkness of the sky. To his left stood Halvor wide-eyed and breathing heavy, staring back in the direction they must have come from. He met Eirson’s eyes. “Sir-”

“We have to go,” Eirson choked. He grabbed Halvor’s wrist and pulled him along as Aurboda broke her circle above them, guiding them towards the northwestern edge of the island where the boat was waiting for them. They pushed themselves until their lungs burned and their feet ached, and then pushed themselves harder, until they finally broke through the trees. “Push off!” Eirson screamed at the ship. “Osmond,  _ push off!” _

Osmond looked back at him like he had three heads.

_ “Osmond, NOW!” _

Osmond hesitated for a moment longer, and Eirson was about to scream at him again when he jumped into action and urged the rest of the sailing apprentices to the same. The ship slowly started drifting off from the island as Eirson and Halvor reached the dock. “Halvor, jump!”

Halvor didn’t hesitate to follow his orders; he immediately jumped towards the ship, just managing to get his arms over the side so he could cling to the wood. Eirson followed suit, ignoring the instant pain in his hands and the pulling in his arms when he grasped the lip of the wood. Osmond and a number of other apprentices hurriedly reached over to pull the two up on the deck. “Sail northeast!” Eirson cried, his voice strained from the effort of running and pulling himself up. “Around Screaming Island. And then sail due west in the pass between Screaming Island and Shivering Shores.”

“Eirson, what happened?” Osmond asked as he helped him to his feet.

The question echoed in his head.  _ Eirson, what happened? _

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

Alvin had always done everything in his power to protect Eirson.  _ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

Eirson’s stomach turned. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t handle the infinite sets of eyes staring at him, looking to  _ him _ for leadership and solace and hope.

It was something he always struggled with, and something he knew he would have to overcome eventually.

But he couldn’t right now.

“Northeast, then west between Screaming Island and Shivering Shores,” Eirson repeated. “And then we sail directly to Old Berk.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say any more than that. He couldn’t bring himself to look anyone in the eye. All he could do was trudge to the captain’s quarters,  _ his father’s _ quarters, and shut the door. And even when the darkness engulfed him, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything more than sink to the floor and lie in a numb heap.

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

The bravest, strongest warrior Eirson knew, gone.

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

The only family Eirson had ever had.

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

His father, the man who raised him, the man who believed in him.

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh. Thud.  _

_ Snap. Thwick. Augh. Shhhhh... _

_ Snap... thwick... _

Eirson didn’t do well with conflict. It was something he always struggled with, and something he knew he would have to overcome eventually. Most people on Outcast Island knew this, especially Alvin. It was the reason his father had torn the village to shreds over spreading rumors and criticizing Eirson’s place in the village during a meeting when Eirson was twelve. Alvin had always done everything in his power to protect Eirson.

Eirson knew it was how his father showed his love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) don't hate me, see y'all in two weeks!  
> And for those of you who would like to scream at me or cry with each other, I started a Discord server for my betas and I to collaborate. But if there is interest, I'm thinking about opening it up for readers to chat as well! Feel free to comment if this is something you'd like to participate in, and I will reply with a link to join if we go ahead and open the server :)


	15. Putting Things Into Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beautiful readers! I AM BACK! I cannot apologize enough for my sudden disappearance; it wasn't at all planned, but due to some unexpectedly severe side effects I got when I started a new medication, it was unavoidable. If anyone wants more information, I did post an update on my Tumblr page but it was quite a long post so I won't duplicate it here. Long story short: I am not planning any more absences, but if any are needed I will hopefully be able to warn in advance, and you can expect updates to continue every other Friday as normal. I have also opened my Discord server to readers (link to join down at the bottom of the chapter and in my bio!) if anyone wants to join for a more direct way to get updates in case anything else unexpected does come up.
> 
> Enjoy the second longest chapter I've written for this story thus far! :)
> 
> ***TW: Panic attack, self-harm***

Zephyr breathed in deep through her nose and exhaled slowly through pursed lips. She kept her eyes focused on her opponent ahead of her. She gripped her axe handle tighter, feeling the resistance of her new leather gloves against the leather-bound wood as she wrung her hands around it. Her left foot planted in the ground just ahead of her as her right foot shifted back, poised on the ball of her foot.  _ Keep your weight on your front foot if you want to defend, back foot to attack. _ Front to defend, back to attack.

She saw the twitch of her opponent’s sword just before he lunged. She moved to parry an attack from the right; but she gravely miscalculated, a fact she realized only when the blade of the sword sailed between their bodies and froze just before contacting her left arm. Not only that, but she realized immediately that she shifted her weight improperly. It was front foot to  _ attack, _ and back foot to  _ defend. _ A statement her father had drilled into her head for  _ hours, _ and she still flipped it.

Zephyr groaned and dropped her arms, breaking her stance.

“It’s alright, Zeph, try again. You can do it.”

Zephyr looked over her father’s stance again, trying to focus her attention on the movement of his feet. She was breathing heavy and sweat soaked her hair to her forehead. She gripped her axe handle tighter as she noticed Hiccup lift his heel off the ground.

He lunged and swung his sword across his body, which Zephyr parried with her axe handle and stepped back. Her face lit up instantly as the metal of his sword made contact with the wood. Yes! She did it! She actually did it!

Unfortunately, Hiccup lodged his sword under her axe head and managed to pull it right out of her hands, sending her axe flying across the sparring ring. Zephyr groaned angrily.

“That was great form!” Hiccup praised. “You just have to make sure you don’t forget to hold onto your weapon tightly. You let your grip slack when you-“

“I get it, Dad,” she interrupted, a little harsher than she planned.

Hiccup pursed his lips and studied her face. “It’s not going to come to you overnight, sweetheart,” he reminded her.

“I didn’t say I thought it would,” she snapped.

“Zephyr-”

“Can we be done for today?”

Hiccup looked her up and down; Zephyr didn’t care much to try to figure out what he was thinking. She could feel the frustrations of the last few hours rolling over her in waves, the next more uncontrollable than the last. She had to get away before she broke.

He sighed. “Alright.”

Zephyr didn’t wait another moment. She instantly turned on her heels and ran for the trees, sweeping up her axe where it lay next to the rest of the weapons her father had brought with them that afternoon. She expertly lodged it into its holder on her back (just about the only thing she did  _ expertly _ with her axe at all today) and bolted into the trees, deciding to take the long way around the village so she wouldn’t run into anyone. And she didn’t stop running until she began climbing up to her hideaway.

All afternoon she spent sparring with her father. They ate lunch early so they would have plenty of time to practice. The sun had all but disappeared now beneath the waters.  _ Half of the day _ spent sparring. And not once was she able to get the upper hand. Not once did she manage to push back. Not once did she even successfully parry his attacks.

She threw her bag down on the ground, not even paying attention to where it went. She picked up a rock and threw it through the waterfall with all her might.

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t fight, she couldn’t lead, she couldn’t even hold onto her own damn axe! She was supposed to be a chief, to replace her father and lead not only her tribe but probably the Wingmaidens too at this point, and she couldn’t even  _ hold a damn weapon! _ With a direct threat to their allies and probably even New Berk itself on the loose!

She spun around and kicked the rock walls around her, punched them until her knuckles were bloodied, heaved larger rocks over her shoulder and launched them at the walls.

What was she thinking?! Why did she think she was capable enough to handle any of this? Why didn’t she listen, why didn’t she just listen to all the people who doubted her? It would’ve made all of this so much easier!

She screamed and threw another large rock at the wall, making the wall crack at a point that stuck out further than the rest of the wall and send stones scattering along the cavern floor. She picked up the stones and threw them into the waterfall, letting her cries escape with them.

What was she supposed to do now?!  _ Learn?! _ How could she sit around and  _ learn _ like nothing was happening?! One of their allies had already been decimated, so much so that their entire way of life was gone forever, any trace of their culture burnt beyond recognition, seeking solace on  _ her _ island. And what could she do for them?  _ Nothing! _

She heaved another large rock over her shoulders and screamed as she sent it flying through the cascading water. And then she dropped to her knees. She bowed her head, barely catching her upper body on her hands, and watched as tears poured from her face and darkened the floor beneath her. She heard the rock she had thrown clatter down the side of the waterfall, fading into the distance until she registered the faint  _ splash _ at the bottom of the ravine.

She couldn’t do it. She wasn’t ready.

Her chest heaved with each cry, her body shook so badly she couldn’t focus her eyes.

She wasn’t ready.

She shakily pushed herself back until she fell against the wall.

_ You’re not ready. _

She pulled her knees to her chest, covered her face with her arms, and buried her hands in her hair.

_ You’re not ready for this, what were you thinking? Did you actually think you’d have what it takes to replace your father? The Tamer of Dragons, the one who forged peace between two civilizations that spent hundreds of years at war with each other. And you thought you could fill his boots? _

“Stop, no, stop,” she begged.

_ You’ll never be good enough. You’ve disappointed him. You did it once when the Wingmaidens arrived and you disobeyed him. And you did it again with today’s ungodly pathetic sparring, if it could be called that. You’ve  _ disappointed  _ him. _

“Stop! Stop it!” She gripped her hair so hard that she wasn’t sure if she had pulled any out. She wouldn’t have been surprised if she had.

_ Useless. You’re useless. You’ll never live up to his expectations. You’ll never impress your tribe. You’ll never be enough. _

“Stop it!” she screamed, falling onto her side and curling into a tight ball.

_ What would Eirson think? _

She gasped as she tried to catch her breath, clawing at her face and her hair and her eyes and her arms and the ground, anything,  _ anything _ to help her feel a little more stable. But of all the thoughts running through her head, strangely, the last one kept coming back.

_ What would Eirson think? _

~~~

Zephyr wasn’t sure how long she laid on the cool floor of the cave. All she knew was she laid there until she felt numb and the darkness enveloped her.

Her eyes slid across the floor and paused on her bag. She reached out involuntarily and slipped her hand under the flap, feeling around until she found leather. Wrapping the leather strap around her fingers, she pulled the necklace from her bag and held the stone to her chest. Her mind was finally quiet, too exhausted to even think a single word.

Well, except for one word.

_ Eirson. _

She wasn’t sure why that one word had consumed her thoughts in the last week. She had thought the word occasionally since the treaty signing, but it had forged itself an ever-present home in her thoughts lately. Maybe it was simply the gift she now clutched to her chest. Yes, that made sense. She simply had a reminder of that word always in her bag, always at her hip. And when she felt unsafe or sad or scared, she held the gift, just as she did now.

But why did she do that?

Since the announcement, she had noticed two questions constantly racing through her mind.

When she was thinking about her expected role in her tribe: Can she do that?

When she found herself clutching the gift again: Why did she do that?

She still didn’t have an answer to the first question. And maybe she never would, as terrifying as that possibility was to her.

So she found herself analyzing the second question more closely, because it seemed to be the easier of the two to answer. And she wasn’t sure how she felt about the answer she had come up with.

For years now she had noticed times where she would slowly lose control. And she didn’t like losing control, so she would simply ignore it. But the older she grew, the more difficult that feeling was to ignore. It made her feel vulnerable and weak and childish. It made her inadequate. It made her feel unfit to lead. And if others saw her lose control, they would begin to think the same.

At first, she didn’t lose control often. At first, it was little things that would get to her, and she would push them down and try to overcome them. But sometimes they would fight back, especially when she was scared or stressed or distracted, it always hit her worst when she was distracted. And the worst times... The worst times were when she broke, like tonight.

The first time she did, she didn’t even really realize it happened. Not until much later, not until she broke again a few more times. But she still remembered the first time she broke badly.

Zephyr had just turned 10 a month earlier, and her parents had told her and her brothers they had another sibling on the way not long after her birthday. She was supposed to be in bed, but she was cold. It was late, and the house was still and quiet, so she assumed everyone was already in bed. She only went down the stairs to grab an extra blanket from the firepit room. But her parents were there, and they were talking in whispers. So Zephyr peaked around the corner, wondering what they were talking about.

Her mother’s face was red and she was shaking as she sat on the couch. Her father looked scared where he sat across from her.

_ “Astrid, we talked about this,” Hiccup begged. _

_ “That was three years ago, Hiccup,” she cried quietly back. “And that time was different. I didn’t have any problems with Spero, Spero was easy. I’ve been so sick I can’t stand on my own.” _

_ “It happens, love-” _

_ “Not usually! Just with Nuffink!” _

_ “Ast, please, you’re going to make yourself sick again.” _

_ Mommy had been sick a lot lately. _

_ “That’s the problem, Hiccup.” Tears started to flow down Mommy’s face. “I was never sick like this with Zephyr. She came out perfect, right on time. I was sick like this with Nuffink. He came early, and he got sick, and he almost died. I was never sick like this with Spero. He came out  _ perfect _ , and  _ right on time _. I-” _

_ “That doesn’t mean anything,” Daddy stopped her and laid his hand on Mommy’s belly. “It just means you’re sick. That’s all. That’s... That’s fixable.” _

_ Mommy cried and shook her head. “I don’t...” She trailed off and bit her lip, crying harder. _

_ Daddy scooted closer to her and pulled her into his chest. He hugged her shoulders tight and rubbed her tummy. “What is it, Ast?” _

_ Mommy laid her head on his chest like a pillow. “I... I don’t... I can’t leave you alone with them.” _

_ Daddy was quiet for a moment, but then he started to cry, too. “You won’t.” _

_ “I can’t leave them.” _

_ “You won’t.” _

_ Mommy shook her head. “I love them so much.” _

_ “I know you do.” _

_ Mommy looked up into Daddy’s eyes. “I love you so much.” _

_ Daddy and Mommy both started crying harder. “I love you so much,” he whispered. _

_ “I can’t do that to you,” Mommy sobbed. _

_ “You won’t.” _

_ “Hiccup-” _

_ “No, Ast. You won’t. You won’t leave,” Daddy pleaded. “You’ve been through worse and you were just fine. This won’t be any different. You’re just... You’re just a little sick...” _

_ Mommy looked up into Daddy’s eyes. She touched his cheek softly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” _

_ “You didn’t,” he whispered back, wiping tears off her cheek. _

_ She did the same to Daddy. “But I did.” _

_ Daddy shook his head and pulled Mommy close. “No, you didn’t. You’re just scared. And that’s okay.” He kissed her head. _

Zephyr had completely forgotten about her blanket hunt after that. She ran back up the stairs as quietly as she could, slipped back into her room, shut the door behind her, and buried herself in her furs. She didn’t see her mom frightened very often, and at that point in her life she was especially not used to it. If Mommy was scared, then Zephyr was terrified, because  _ nothing  _ scared Mommy.

Zephyr remembered how much more it scared her when she couldn’t stop shaking. She remembered how, even then, she knew she was vulnerable like that. How long it had taken her to stop the tears, how much longer it had taken to catch her breath. She doubted she would ever be able to forget the heart-wrenching, gut-crushing, overwhelmingly soul-breaking  _ fear _ she had felt. Her chest had hurt so bad she had thought she was dying. Part of her was shocked she had woken up the next morning, because she remembered as she drifted off to sleep she had thought dying would have been better than enduring whatever had consumed her. But she could never bring herself to tell her father about the incident. Or her mother. Or even Tuffnut, for that matter. Because she didn’t want to relive it. More importantly, because she didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

Now, she just felt she was being dramatic thinking she was dying that first time. But maybe that was just because it had happened so many times since then.

But while thinking over the few interactions she had with Eirson, she realized that no one had seen her in that state... Except for him. Not only that, but it had happened on the same day they had met for the first time. And normally, that would scare the shit out of her, knowing he knew anything about a deep dark secret of hers.

But he didn’t hold it over her. He didn’t try to use it against her. Even when she was breaking, he didn’t try to take advantage of her. He tried to  _ help _ her. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He wanted to keep her safe. He stayed with her until he was convinced she was better. He wanted to be her  _ friend. _ It wasn’t enough she felt connected to him already because he knew such an intimate detail about her that no one else did; but the fact that he was so gentle and caring and protective with her made her want to explore that connection even more.

She shivered, suddenly realizing how cold the nights had become. And laying on a bed of wet rock certainly wasn’t helping the chill nor the numbness in her limbs. Still, she struggled to find her arms and push herself up. Even when she finally did, she felt any last bit of energy left in her was gone.

She shivered violently, which seemed to give her just enough energy to move to the back of the cave and wrap her furs around her. But then her head rolled back against the rock and she seriously considered sleeping in the cave for the night.

She sighed. No, if she did that, her parents would definitely notice. Especially after she ran from sparring with her father so quickly. But she was so exhausted...

But was she exhausted enough to sleep in the cave and risk her parents hounding her until she had to confess why she disappeared?

Groaning, she kicked a rock hard enough that it clattered across the floor and through the vine-draped entrance, clicking occasionally as it fell down the cliffside. “Dammit,” she said. She wanted to scream the word, but a normal speaking volume was all she could muster. She clutched her necklace tighter, holding it against her heart as her head rolled back again. “I hope you’re doing better than me right now, Eirson.”

She fell quiet and still after that. If she listened closely, she could make out the sounds of the nighttime animals rustling through the foliage below under the noisy rushing waters. The rustling wasn’t as loud as it usually was in the warmer months, but she was so used to hearing it that it was second nature. It was calming to her. It felt safe. It was familiar.

In fact, she was so content and calm listening to the sounds of the island that her soul left her body for a moment when a scooping, high-pitched screech blasted into her solace in a mess of white feathers.

She tried to focus her eyes as she caught her breath and calmed her heart. It still took her a minute to process the white wings, expectant stare, and leather wrappings that she found before her.

“Aurboda?”

The gyrfalcon chirped and stepped impatiently closer.

Zephyr sat up as Aurboda practically walked into her lap. “What are you doing back, girl? You just left two days ago.” She scratched her head as she looked her over. It didn’t look like she was hurt... “You didn’t get lost, did you?” But then Zephyr realized the brown leather had been replaced by the black. Odd. It had taken a week before she returned last time.

Aurboda nipped at her finger and squawked.

“Ow! Alright, alright!” She shook her head as she tied the necklace around her neck and slipped the letter off of Aurboda. “Give me a second for Thor’s sake.”

The first thing she noticed as she pulled out the letter was that it seemed to be written on the back of a torn map. As she unrolled it, she could feel it was oddly coarse, like it had been wet at some point and then dried, but only in splotches across the parchment. The ink was a little smudged in those places as well. When she flipped it over, she hesitated for a moment at the messy, scrawled characters on the page that didn’t at all resemble the elegant script of Eirson’s hand. It took her some time to make out the bones of his script beneath the scribbles she saw in front of her to realize that, yes, Eirson did in fact write this letter. It only took her a moment to extrapolate those findings, and yet by the time she read the first sentence, her stomach had already dropped to her feet.

> _ Dearest Zephyr, _
> 
> _ I wish I had better news. But I don’t really know what to say, so I guess I’ll just get right to it. _
> 
> _ We have been attacked. My tribe was ambushed late in the night. I was able to escape with a handful of tribe members, but mostly the vulnerable who were unable to fight. Many are injured and we are short on supplies. There was no warning, we were entirely unprepared. It was out of sheer luck my dad had a few boats on the backside of the island we were able to escape on. _
> 
> ~~_ My dad _ ~~
> 
> ~~_ Zephyr, I _ ~~
> 
> ~~_ I don’t know what to do. The madman who attacked us, he _ ~~
> 
> _ When we first heard the screaming, my dad ordered me to round up who I could and direct them to the northeastern edge of the island, to board a boat that was there, and be prepared to set off with whoever I could save. I did, but as I came back to see if there was anyone else I could help, that madman had my father held at his knees in front of him with an arrow aimed to his heart. _
> 
> _ Zephyr, he demanded to know where the dragons went. He kept calling my father the “Dragon King,” he demanded my father stop lying when he denied knowing of dragons. He thought my father was your father. He must have thought our island was New Berk. My dad refused to say a word. He kept denying everything. He even started provoking him. And then the madman was infuriated and he  _ _ ~~ki~~ _ __ _~~behe~~ _ __ _~~he’s g~~ _ _ _ ~~_ I  _ ~~ _ _ _~~he’s~~ _ __ ~~_ I sa  _ ~~
> 
> _ I have all that is left of my tribe on this boat with me. I’m all they have left. And I don’t even know what to do. We’re sailing towards Old Berk. I don’t know where else to go, but I know that your dad keeps emergency supplies there. That’s what Dad told me. He told me to take them there. It’s the best idea I have right now. But I don’t know how long we can last. _
> 
> _ I had to let you know. I’m afraid for you and your family. This man is... I don’t even know how to explain it. But if he finds out that Outcast Island  _ _ isn’t _ _ New Berk like he thought, he will start hunting for you. I’m sure of it. _
> 
> _ Please, Zephyr, be cautious. Warn your father. I can’t let this happen to you too. _
> 
> _ ~~Eirson _

Zephyr’s heart stopped.

She touched the necklace Eirson had gifted her, now resting over her broken heart.

She looked at Aurboda, looking tired and a little disheveled.

And then she ran like hell for the second time that evening.

Only this time the tears fell before she even had the chance to start running.

~~~

No one was home. The forge was cold and empty. The village was quiet. No one was in sight.

Which meant it was taking  _ too damn long _ to find her father.

She was heaving and sweating and shivering and crying but she couldn’t stop. She had to find Dad. She  _ had _ to. Because he would know what to do, right? Right?!

So she was currently sprinting to the last place she could think he would be. She knew Council was meeting tonight, and that Hiccup had extended the same offer as always to her, with the added bonus of granting permission to give her input and vote. Zephyr was convinced she had missed the meeting, they never ran this late. But where else could they be?

And sure enough, when she tore through the practically empty Great Hall directly for the Council room and burst through the door, she found all of Council, her parents, and Atali staring back at her. But she didn’t care. She looked directly at the head of the table. “Daddy,” she choked.

Hiccup instantly stood and ran to her. “Zephyr? Sweetheart, what happened?” Astrid followed behind as closely as she could but wasn’t able to stand quite as quickly as Hiccup.

Zephyr realized she was gasping for air between the exertion of running all over the island and the sobs tearing through her chest. “I- He- I-I-”

“Zephyr, hey, breathe, baby girl,” Hiccup begged, grabbing her shoulders and leaning down to look her in the eye. “It’s okay, you’re safe. Just breathe.”

Zephyr shook her head, coughing now as she tried to force words through the sobs. “N-no, no, h-h-h-he-”

Hiccup looked like he was about to cry right along with Zephyr. He straightened and pulled her against his chest, one hand in her hair and one secured around her back. “Please, baby girl, please breathe. Just relax. Relax...”

Astrid ran up next to them, and Zephyr felt another gentle hand on her shoulder. “Zephyr, baby, is it this?” she asked gently. Zephyr heard the parchment of the letter crinkle, still trapped in the tight vice of her fingers.

Zephyr nodded into Hiccup’s chest. She felt her mother’s fingers slide comfortingly over the skin of the back of her hand as her own fingers slowly loosened. Once she was able without tearing the parchment, Astrid gently freed the letter. She kept her hand on Zephyr’s shoulder as Zephyr assumed she was scanning over the shaky words. Hiccup hugged Zephyr tightly and kissed her hair, but Zephyr could hear his heart pounding under her ear.

After a moment, Astrid gasped. “Hiccup,” she breathed. “You need to read this.”

Zephyr couldn’t see anyone’s expression as Hiccup hesitantly let her go, only for Astrid to wrap her up in her own arms and gently guide her towards an empty seat at the table. Astrid sat to her right, scooting her chair closer so she could keep her arms around Zephyr. Someone sat to her left - Snotlout, it was Snotlout, she could tell by his boots - and squeezed her shoulder. She could just make out the quiet tapping of her father’s footsteps returning to the head of the table, at a slower pace then usual with occasional hesitations, telling Zephyr he was reading the letter as he walked.

“Hiccup, what is it?” Snotlout asked.

Hiccup stayed quiet for a little longer as an uneasy silence fell over the room. But when he finally did speak, his voice was thick and low. “Scratch everything we planned for this coming week,” he began.

Zephyr’s heart skipped a beat, but quickly returned to a pounding gallop. She glanced up but otherwise didn’t move.

“Son, what happened?” Valka sternly prodded.

Hiccup took a breath, but then turned to Zephyr instead of answering. “Zeph, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” he quietly assured.

Zephyr only responded by wrapping her arms tighter around her mother.

Hiccup took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Alright.” He turned back to address the full room. “This... This is a letter from Eirson.” He locked eyes with Atali. “Seems like your tribe wasn’t an isolated incident.”

Atali’s face paled whiter than fresh snow.

Everyone else in the room followed suit as the news sunk in. No one spoke for a long stretch of time, and Hiccup didn’t seem to know how to continue.

“How bad was it?” Ruffnut quietly asked.

Hiccup swallowed. “Mass casualties,” was all he managed to whisper back.

No one moved. No one spoke. For a moment, Zephyr wondered if everyone was still breathing. Her now quiet and sporadic gasps were the only sound.

After awhile, once she had caught her breath and her face had dried, she couldn’t stand the silence. They needed to  _ act, _ they had to start forming a plan. Eirson needed help. He was scared and hurting and alone, and Zephyr would be damned if she didn’t even try to change that.

She looked to her father, and she was about to ask him to continue. But she caught a heartbreaking look in his eyes. One she didn’t see often because he wouldn’t let anyone see it when he could get away with it.

She could understand if he couldn’t continue leading the meeting while he was thinking about Grandpa Stoick. But  _ someone _ had to do it. So Zephyr decided to shove down her sorrow and put on her big-girl boots. For her father. And for Eirson.

She took a deep breath and held tight to her necklace. “He didn’t write much,” she quietly began. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her father jump in surprise and bewildered eyes all around the room turn to her. She ignored them and continued. “I think he’s still trying to process what happened. It sounded like they’re still making their way away from the island, so the attack must’ve been within the last few days. According to his letter, they were ambushed late in the night, and were taken by surprise. They were vastly unprepared and most of the tribe didn’t survive. It sounds like having dragons was a huge advantage for your tribe, Atali,” she added, surprising herself, but she didn’t take time to dwell on her observation. Though her voice broke when she started again, she pushed herself to keep going. “Alvin ordered Eirson to gather whatever Outcasts he could and direct them to the northern end of the island where they had a few boats. He said it’s mostly ‘vulnerable’ people, so I assume elderly or children. But they all fit on a single boat, and that’s all that is left of the tribe.” She swallowed, urging herself to continue. “He... he said he had gone back to see if there was anyone else he could collect before they pushed off. He saw the attacking chief. He called him a madman. He had Alvin at arrowpoint and was calling him ‘Dragon King,’ demanding he reveal the location of the dragons. Alvin denied everything and began provoking the attacking chief. And when he didn’t comply-”

“He killed Alvin,” Hiccup whispered. Zephyr suppressed a sigh, a little glad she didn’t have to say the words herself.

She nodded in agreement. “That’s what it sounds like by Eirson’s letter,” she quietly added. “He said he’s all the remaining Outcasts have left. So I assume Keldon also did not survive.”

“Which means...” Astrid trailed off and looked at Hiccup.

“The Outcasts have a new Chief,” Hiccup finished for her.

The room fell silent again.

“Alvin had told Eirson to sail to Old Berk. That’s where they’re headed now,” Zephyr finished.

After a pause, Ruffnut asked, “So what do we do now?”

Grandpappi Gobber scoffed incredulously. “Well, we have to go help ‘em!” He yelled. Well, his voice was a normal volume, but after the silence and quiet words it sounded very loud. He softened as he turned to Hiccup. “The boy’s only seventeen.”

“I agree the boy needs assistance, but this enemy is obviously a direct threat to us as well.” Eret voiced. “Is it wise to split our numbers like that?”

“Probably not, but do we really have a choice?” Tuffnut argued.

“We’re sending aid to Old Berk, there’s no question about that,” Hiccup stated. “And we’re bringing the Outcasts here.”

Zephyr hadn’t realized she had sat up and stiffened until she relaxed back into her chair at her father’s words.

“The question is,” he continued, “how do we split up? Eret will be sailing, of course, as our Sailmaster.”

Eret nodded his head.

“Tuffnut, it sounds like they’ll need healing attention. How do things look here?”

Tuffnut thought carefully before he spoke. “How bad do you think it is for them?”

Hiccup grimaced and glanced back down at Eirson’s letter. He scanned over the scribbled words and read aloud a few phrases. “ _ I was able to escape with a handful of tribe members, but mostly the vulnerable who were unable to fight. Many are injured, and we are short on supplies... We’re sailing towards Old Berk. I don’t know where else to go, but I know that your dad keeps emergency supplies there... But I don’t know how long we can last... _ He didn’t give specifics, but I imagine it’s not good.”

Tuffnut nodded slowly, staring at the table and leaning his pursed lips on his folded hands, elbows propped up in front of him where he sat.

“Tuff?” Ruffnut asked.

He put up a single finger, still staring off.

Ruffnut looked to Hiccup and shrugged.

Hiccup was about to move on, but then Tuffnut finally spoke. “For the most part, the Wingmaidens are fine. Minden is the only one I’m still worried about, but she’s getting better each day. And she’s stable. If Ruffnut can focus on her, then I think I should go to New Berk with three of the five apprentices. That leaves two here to help Ruffnut with anything else that comes up. We don’t know what we’re walking into so I’d rather be over prepared, especially if they have a mostly vulnerable population. They may end up with more injuries or sickness by the time they get to Old Berk.” He lifted his head and met Hiccup’s eyes. “At least, that’s my suggestion, Chief.”

Hiccup nodded his head. “I trust your judgement. Go get whatever supplies you need together and sort out your apprentices. We’ll send Ruffnut if we need anything else from you. I want a ship on that water as soon as possible.”

Tuffnut nodded and ran down the opening in the back of the room that acted as a back exit of the Great Hall without hesitation.

Hiccup scrubbed his face with his left hand and continued. “So that leaves Ruffnut here on the island. Astrid is staying too, obviously.”

Astrid sighed sarcastically and rolled her eyes. “Left out of the fun again,” she joked, winking at Hiccup.

Hiccup half smiled in return and relaxed a bit, but not much. “So that leaves me, Lout, and Legs.” 

_ He doesn’t include Grammie Valka or Grandpappi Gobber because of their ages and their roles as direct advisers to him and the rest of Council, _ Zephyr thought to herself, followed quickly by a string of curses also directed at herself. They were talking about a plan to save Eirson and the Outcasts, was this really the best time to be playing apprentice-of-the-Chief?! Well, actually, yeah, this was probably a  _ perfect _ time to be-

Her internal debate was interrupted when Hiccup’s eyes flickered to Zephyr. “Do you want a role?” he asked slowly.

Zephyr instantly nodded.

Hiccup nodded back a little less enthusiastically. “Okay, so me, Lout, Legs, and Zeph.” He pursed his lips, thinking hard. “Legs, I really would like to have you go to help ration supplies. Take some of ours, of course, but also give the Outcasts - well, Eirson - some guidance on how to ration what they have. So...” Hiccup pursed his lips again. “Then it’s probably best to send Snotlout and Zephyr and I’ll stay here.”

Zephyr’s heart pounded in her chest.  _ Send Snotlout and Zephyr. _ She was going to get to go to Old Berk. She’ll get to see Eirson, make sure he’s okay in only days rather than weeks. She could be there for him, support him, help him-

But then another thought occurred to her.

“Wait,” she said, ignoring the twinge in her stomach when all eyes turned to her again. She focused on her dad. “Wait, Dad, you need to go. You should go to Old Berk.”

Hiccup blinked. “Sweetheart,” he started slowly, “that only leaves your mom and Ruffnut here.”

“No, Dad, you  _ have _ to go. No one will be able to help Eirson like you could. No one else understands what he’s going through. You’d be the most help to him.” She was practically pleading him by the last sentence.

She could see the pain fill Hiccup’s eyes, and she grew hopeful that he saw her point. But her heart fell when he started to speak again. “Zephyr... That’s a really nice thought, but I still can’t-”

“I’ll stay,” Snotlout said. Zephyr flipped her head around and found him eyeing her curiously. He blinked and turned to Hiccup instead. “I’ll stay so you can go.”

Hiccup hesitated. “But that just leaves you with Ruff and Astrid. If something happens, Astrid can’t fight-

“Hold on,  _ Hic _ , you were just about to leave  _ yourself _ on this island with just Ruff and Astrid,” Snotlout interjected. “What’s the difference?”

Hiccup stuttered.

“The difference,” Valka offered, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at her son, “Is that he would be putting  _ himself _ in danger rather than you, Snotlout.”

Hiccup sighed in frustration. Astrid snorted.

“I’ll stay.”

Zephyr hadn’t realized she had said the words until Hiccup looked at her. He looked conflicted. “Zeph-”

“No,” Zephyr stopped him, “If I stay, then that’s an extra person to help on the island. I know this island inside and out, so I’d be of better use here anyway.” She wasn’t entirely sure where all of this was coming from, but this wasn’t the time to stop and wonder. “That way you can go to Old Berk. Where  _ you _ would be of better use.”  _ Nope, too far, that was too far, that was way- _

“How do you suppose?” Grandpappi Gobber asked, his shit-eating grin giving away how much he was enjoying putting Zephyr on the spot.

She didn’t even have time to think before her brain took over again. “Because Dad gets it. Eirson just watched his dad die, and now he suddenly has to figure out how to lead his tribe, which is in shambles now. Which, as I recall from my history lessons with Uncle Fishy, Dad has some experience with. However, unlike Dad, Eirson’s mother isn’t there, and neither is Keldon. Meaning he has literally no one to advise him, not anyone that he would trust at least.” She pushed on despite the pounding of her heart and the flushing of her face, not able to stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. “On top of that, let’s consider the fact that he probably didn’t have a chance to even mourn his father. He is alone, and hurting, and completely unprepared, and he’s stuck on a ship with people who suddenly have no one else to turn to but a guy that half of the tribe didn’t trust from day one. He has the support of all of us, sure, but he has to keep the peace in his own tribe, and we have no idea what we're walking into, what kind of state their tribe is in right now. He needs Dad.” Zephyr finally stopped and met her father’s eyes. She fizzled out enough that all she managed to add was a quiet, “He needs you, Dad. Please. He needs you.”

Hiccup was stunned to silence for a moment. Apparently, everyone else was too. Even Gobber’s face had sombered. And all eyes turned to Hiccup. He shook himself back to reality. “Uh... Okay, well, then I’d need an acting chief. Snotlout, would you be able to handle that on top of Astrid’s duties?”

“Do we need an acting chief?” Snotlout asked. “I mean, you’re not dead yet. You’re just not on the island.”

“With the Wingmaiden tribe here and the news of another ally under attack, I think it’s best in case something happens before we get back. I’d rather have my intentions of clear leadership in place so no one can argue against it later. Just until I get back to the island.”

Snotlout considered, but just as he opened his mouth, he saw Zephyr out of the corner of his eye. And she saw the spark of an idea.

Uh-oh.  _ Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t- _

“You know what, probably not. Why don’t you just assign Zephyr acting chief?”

Zephyr’s jaw dropped before she quickly snapped it shut. She knew it was coming. She had a guess of what his idea was before it left his mouth. But her jaw still fell open either way.

Snotlout stifled a smile.

Hiccup wasn’t amused. “Snot-”

“No, Hiccup, I’m serious,” he pushed. “You’ve already named her heir. When Stoick was hurt back when we were still on the Edge, who did the council choose as acting chief?  _ You. _ And you weren’t even on the island! You weren’t even in the  _ Archipelago!” _

“That’s different!” Hiccup argued. “I was seventeen, and the only child of the chief! She’s only fourteen, she was just announced heir not even two weeks ago, the tribe is still adjusting to the idea! I can’t in good conscience leave-”

“I can do it!” Zephyr yelled, but she wasn’t sure if it was out of frustration that her father didn’t trust her or sheer desperation to make sure he went to Old Berk.

Hiccup wilted. “I don’t doubt that, sweetheart. I know you can, I have every bit of faith in you that you would be a great chief. What I  _ don’t _ have faith in is the rest of the tribe.”

“Then let me prove it to them! This is the perfect chance, while you’re still around and I have Snotlout helping me, in the most controlled environment we could ever hope for. I can do this, Dad. And you have to go.” She felt tears stinging her eyes, but she didn’t care. “Please, you  _ have _ to go. Eirson needs you.”

Hiccup looked pained as he searched Zephyr’s eyes. He sighed quietly to himself, and then cleared his throat. “All those in favor of Zephyr’s role as acting chief in my absence?”

His eyes never left her as a chorus of, “Aye,” rang out around the room.

“All those against?” he choked.

Zephyr could have sworn she would have been able to hear a feather drop.

Hiccup swallowed and nodded. “Acting Chief it is.”


	16. Zephyr Wishes She Had Studied Better For This Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! We’re a little late this week because exams had to take priority the last two weeks again. But hopefully I’ll be able to catch up again in the next two weeks! Also quick reminder that I have opened up my discord server with my betas to readers as well, and we already have a couple readers that have joined! Invite link will be posted at the end of the last chapter :) Enjoy!

Zephyr was... A little overwhelmed.

But she couldn’t show it. She was Chief now.

Well,  _ acting _ Chief.

But the only difference was that the title wasn’t permanent.

Well...

She prayed to the gods it wasn’t, at least.

The minute the words, “Acting Chief it is,” left her father’s lips, things picked up in a flurry of activity rather quickly. Fishlegs was off to take detailed inventory of the island’s supplies. Hiccup and Eret began an in-depth discussion on the ideal number of ships and crewmen to prepare. Ruffnut ran to find Tuffnut in order to catch him up on the rest of the meeting he missed and help him finish his own inventory. Snotlout and Astrid hounded Atali for more detailed information regarding the enemy chief and his tribe in order to determine what kind of attack they needed to prepare for, if any, while Zephyr watched.

And it seems like only moments later they were all back in the same room, spouting off all of the determinations they each individually made of their assigned duties. Instant adjustments were made, points were argued, options were debated, round and round in circles until everyone agreed on the action plan. It felt like the planning took all night, but in reality it lasted only a few hours. Eventually they all agreed, if a bit hesitantly, that Hiccup and Eret would command two ships with minimal crew in order to maximize the amount of space for supplies and eventually Outcasts refugees. One ship would have been preferred by Eret, as it would have made them more maneuverable in case they ran into the enemy, but ultimately it was decided they simply couldn’t fit everything on one ship. They hoped the massive size of the enemy ship - according to Atali’s recollection - would give them the advantage.

If Zephyr was being honest, the thought of crossing paths with the enemy ships never occurred to her.

And then everyone was gone again, packing up supplies and gathering a crew. The sun was nowhere near rising before the village was buzzing with activity, preparing ships with an unknown destination as far as they knew. Zephyr tried to help where she could, but she found herself gravitating home at some point, floating up the stairs and stopping at her parents’ bedroom door like a child that just had a nightmare. Hiccup didn’t notice at first, hurriedly throwing things he needed into a bag. But eventually he caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye. He focused his attention on her and seemed to grow worried. “Zephyr, is everything okay?”

Zephyr hugged her midsection tighter - wait, when had she started doing that? - and took a shaky breath. “Do... Do you really think there’s a chance you’ll run into that tribe?”

Hiccup’s face wilted. He dropped the spare leg he was packing on the bed and waved her over as he crossed the room himself. Zephyr cursed her eyes when she felt the sting of tears, but couldn’t help herself as she obliged, letting him crush her against his chest for the second time that night. “It’s just a precaution, sweetheart. It’s just something we need to prepare for.”

“Yeah,  _ in case it happens,” _ she choked.

Hiccup didn’t really have an answer to that, apparently. He hugged her tighter. “We’ll get him home, Zeph.”

Zephyr bit her lip. “You mean  _ you _ will get him home.” She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. She saw the pain she felt mirrored in them. “Right, Dad?”

She could see his heart break in his eyes, which just made Zephyr feel worse.

“You... You’re going to make it home, right, Daddy?” she asked, feeling sudden panic rise in her chest.

“Oh, oh, Zeph. Yes, of course I’m going to make it home.” He pulled her back into a tight embrace, rocking side to side and combing his finger through her hair. His voice was quiet and thick with tears. “Of course I will. I’m not going to leave you like that. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Promise?”

He was quiet.

“Dad,  _ promise?” _ Zephyr insisted.

He hesitated a moment, but finally gave in. “I promise,” he whispered.

But it didn’t make Zephyr feel any better. She knew why he hesitated. Because no matter what he did, no matter how hard he fought, no matter how careful he was, some things were out of his control. There was always that risk to any sea voyage.

And it was late in the season. Ships never left New Berk after Zephyr’s birthday. Not unless it was absolutely necessary.

It just had never been necessary before. Not that Zephyr could remember.

As much as she wanted Eirson here so she knew he was safe, and with as much she was trying to give her father the cold shoulder for the way he spoke to her back when the Wingmaidens first arrived... She couldn’t deny that she was terrified something terrible was going to happen. And she didn’t want to lose her dad like Eirson did. She didn’t want to lose her dad at all.

Something about that thought made the reality of the situation sink in. The very real threat that something could happen and she could lose her father forever, that all of this would be for not and she’d be left to lead a village with no one to guide her, that she’d be stuck in the same situation her father and now Eirson had found themselves in, all of it crashed over her.

The thought that this could be the last time she would speak to her father crept into her mind. This could be the last time she saw him. This could be the last time he held her in his arms and told her everything was going to be okay.

This could be the last chance she had.

She couldn’t stop her face from puckering slightly as tears escaped from her eyes again. “Daddy, I’m sorry,” she struggled to whisper.

“Sorry?” He gently pushed her back to look her in the eye. “Sweetheart, what are you talking about?”

She felt like her chest was about to burst as more tears fell. “I’m... I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I just- I just wanted to impress you.”

He breathed out like someone hit him in the stomach.

“I- I just... I just wanted to show you I could do it,” she continued.

“Zeph-”

“But I- I should have listened and not questioned you because I know you were just trying to protect me and-”

“Zephyr, honey-”

“And- And I could have learned so much more if I did but I just-”

“Sweetheart, hey, come here, shhh...” He brushed her bangs from her face and guided her to the end of the bed, sitting her down next to him. I looked sternly into her eyes. “I need you to understand something, and I want you to listen very closely, alright?”

She nodded her head, prepared for another lecture.

But he reached out and gently cupped her cheek in his hand, smiling softly. “You impress me everyday, sweetheart, without fail. Just the fact that you’re interested and motivated to learn anything and everything about my job, the job that I fully intend to give to you someday, is enough to impress me. When I was your age, it was the last thing I wanted for myself. It was the last thing I wanted when I didn’t have a choice but to take over. I still wonder if it’s the right job for me at times.” He chuckled sadly at himself, and then shook his head slowly, still smiling. “But you... You wake up every morning ready for whatever challenge the day will bring, whether you feel like you are or not. You soak up every bit of information you can that you think will help you be a better chief for your people. And that, Zephyr, is what separates a good chief from a great one. Not the diplomacy, or the ability to fight, or being able to command the attention of a group of angry Vikings... Caring for your people is the key. And, sweetheart, you’ve shown me your passion for this tribe from the first day I perched you on my shoulders and took you chiefing with me.”

She chuckled and sniffed.

He smiled and caught a tear from her eye with his thumb before softly continuing. “There has never been a doubt in my mind that you would be the best successor I could ever ask for, and I thank the gods every day for that. Because I don’t think your Grandpappi Stoick ever had that thought.” He chuckled, his voice growing husky as his eyes brimmed with tears. “And... While I will do everything in my power to make sure we get back to New Berk safely... You and I both know things can happen that we can’t control.” He opened his mouth to continue, paused, swallowed hard, and pushed on. “Which is why I need you to understand... Zephyr, I am so proud of you. I have always been so incredibly proud of you. And that will never change. And gods forbid if something does happen to me out there, I know this tribe will survive under your lead. I have every faith in you. I always have. Because you have spent your life doing what you can to better this tribe. And that is what defines a great Chief.” He unnecessarily brushed her hair from her face again as his tears brimmed over. “I love you so much. I wouldn’t ask any of this of you if I didn’t fully believe you could do it. And I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but that’s why you have me and your mother, Grammie Valka, Grandpappi Gobber, all of council... We all have your back. And if something happens to me, they will continue to have your back. Use them. That’s what they’re there for.”

She nodded, trying to focus on her father’s face through the blurry veil of tears. “But I won’t have to worry about that, right? Because you’ll come home.”

“I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make that happen.” He smiled sadly. “But even if I don’t... It’s going to be okay.”

Zephyr wasn’t sure what to say anymore. She was too overwhelmed with the thought of losing her father.

He kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” she replied into his chest.

Suddenly, Mom walked into the room. “Honey, I found your- Is everything okay?”

Dad and Zephyr jumped at the new voice, but then turned to each other and chuckled. “Yeah, we’re alright,” Dad said, wiping his eyes. Zephyr did the same as he turned back to Mom. “Oh, yes, my extra furs. Thanks, Ast.”

She nodded and set the furs on the bed behind Zephyr and started rubbing her back. “The ships are almost ready. They’re looking for you,” she told him quietly.

Dad nodded. “We should probably get going then.”

Zephyr felt like crying again.

Dad must have seen it in her face. He stood and pulled her up with him. “It’s okay, Little Warrior. It’s just a week.”

She nodded and quietly repeated, “Just a week.”

He sighed and pulled Zephyr and Mom both into a hug, kissing Mom and then Zephyr on the head. Zephyr leaned against her father and wrapped her arms around him. Mom wrapped one arm around Zephyr, one arm around Hiccup’s waist, and laid her head on his shoulder.

And when Mom squeezed Zephyr’s shoulders, Zephyr felt the small bump of the baby in Mom’s belly press against her. And she couldn’t help reprimanding herself a little bit. She had to be strong, she had to be a leader and accept the situation as it was. She had to be able to push aside the emotions so she could think clearly and do what needed to be done. Because Dad was counting on her to keep the village safe and running smoothly so he could save their allies.

Well then, it was time to shove all those feelings down.

Dad sighed. “Alright, we need to get going. I don’t want to make Eirson wait any longer than he has to for backup.”

Zephyr and Mom both nodded, and Zephyr felt so empty when he pulled his arms away. But she had to be strong. So she helped her parents gather the rest of Dad’s belongings and carry them down the stairs.

Grammie Valka was waiting in the main room, holding a sleepy Willow and talking to Spero and Nuffink. They all turned as Zephyr and her parents came down the stairs.

Nuffink and Spero instantly ran over to Dad. He dropped his bag and kneeled down to better hug his sons.

“Please be careful,” Zephyr heard Nuffink say.

“I will,” Dad replied.

“Daddy, do you really have to go again?” Spero asked.

“Just for a little bit. Eirson needs help.”

“Can’t somebody else go help him?” Spero complained.

Dad chuckled sadly. “No, Uncle Tuffy and I need to go.”

Spero sighed and hugged Dad tighter, squeezing his eyes shut. “Okay.”

Dad kissed their heads and squeezed them both one more time before letting them go and standing up. Spero walked to Mom and wrapped his arms around her waist instead. Nuffink hugged Zephyr as they all watched Dad.

He reached his arms out to Willow. “Come here, baby girl, give me a hug. Daddy has to go on a boat for a little bit.”

Willow scrubbed her eyes with her fist, but leaned towards Dad and let him lift her from Grammie’s arms.

“I know you’re sleepy, baby girl,” Dad said, hugging her tight and kissing her hair.

“‘Wuv you, Daddy,” Willow yawned.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he said, looking to Grammie and freeing an arm. Grammie hugged him tightly around Willow. “Will you help Ast with the kids while I’m gone?”

“Of course,” she promised.

Dad nodded and pulled away. He squeezed Willow one last time before handing her back to Grammie. Turning to his sons, he said, “Behave for Grammie and Mom, alright?”

Nuffink and Spero both nodded silently.

“And listen to Zephyr, too. She’s taking my place while I’m gone, so she’s in charge.”

Nuffink’s eyes widened. “Wait, really?”

Dad nodded carefully and narrowed his eyes. “Yes... So don’t make her job any harder than it’s already going to be, understood?”

Nuffink raised his hands in surrender. “I was just gonna say that’s really cool.”

Dad looked Nuffink up and down in warning one last time. “Alright. Try to get some sleep, okay? I should be back in a week.”

Nuffink and Spero nodded.

Dad nodded back and picked up his bag again. “Zeph, Ast, mind walking me to the docks?”

Mom and Zephyr nodded and picked up the belongings they had carried down the stairs as well. Dad said a final goodbye to Nuffink, Spero, Willow, and Grammie, and they walked out the door.

The walk to the docks was quiet. The village was alive with activity, but still eerily quiet in the darkness of the night. Vikings eyed their Chief, his wife, and his successor carefully as they walked across the island, wondering what could have possibly happened to warrant the sudden voyage across the Archipelago. Zephyr was impressed they complied so easily.

“They’ll settle down once they know what’s going on,” Dad muttered. “Maybe we should hold off so I can properly address the tribe.”

“I can handle it, Dad,” Zephyr insisted.

He glanced worriedly at her for a brief moment. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“I’ll help her with it,” Mom offered. “I’m sure Snotlout would be happy to help too.”

Dad sighed and turned back to Zephyr. “I hate asking you to do that.” Zephyr was about to argue that she could handle it, but then he added, “I really thought I’d be here to watch you address the tribe for the first time.”

Zephyr smiled to herself.

Dad chuckled mischievously. “And to see Spitelout seething with anger the whole time.”

Zephyr giggled.

They were all quiet again until Dad cleared his throat. “Just... Don’t let them run all over you, alright? You officially have my permission to do whatever you have to do to get them to take you seriously,” he added with a chuckle. Zephyr smiled at him as he continued. “Stay strong, but don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t know something or if you were wrong. If they accuse you of being wrong when you know you aren’t, stand up for yourself. Don’t ever take no for an answer unless it’s the answer you’re looking for. But more than anything...” He glanced down to make sure she was listening. “Don’t let them change you. You’re a good leader, you can handle this. Don’t let them convince you otherwise.”

Zephyr nodded her head.

“Think you can remember all that?” Dad joked.

Zephyr smiled. “I think I got it all.”

By now they had found their way to the docks, and the ships were ready to go below them. Dad sighed and pulled Zephyr in for one last hug. “Good luck.”

Zephyr returned the embrace, squeezing him tightly as if that would somehow keep him safe while he was away. “You too.”

As he let Zephyr go, he turned to Mom. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her fingers around one of his wrists as her other hand locked onto the base of his neck behind his head. Their lips broke apart after a moment, but they continued to embrace each other as they rested their foreheads on one another with closed eyes. “Be careful,” he whispered.

She nodded and replied, “You too.”

He opened his eyes and let one of his hands fall, resting gently on the bump in her stomach.  _ “Extremely _ careful,” he pleaded.

She met his gaze. “I will, I promise.”

He stepped away unwillingly as she reached out with her hand, holding his hand until the space between them overtook their reach, and met Eret on the platform with the rest of the crew. He turned to Snotlout and nodded for him to lower them down to the ships. Zephyr hugged her mother as they watched the pulley system slowly drop the platform, waving to her father one last time as he disappeared below the edge of the cliff.

And suddenly Zephyr really needed some space.

She cleared her throat. “I, uh... I’m going to go clear my head for a bit.”

Mom looked worriedly at her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just... I need to process all of this for a minute.”

Mom nodded her head slowly. “Alright... Just don’t go far.”

“I won’t. I’m just going to take a quick walk around the village and then I’ll come straight home.”

* * *

“Hey, Grandpappi, it’s... It’s me again.”

Zephyr looked up to the stone face of her late grandfather, trying to imagine the soft smile and kind eyes her grandmother always described.

She sighed, fighting back tears.

“I know... I know that I never knew you. Dad said you passed about five years before I came along. But he and Grammie tell me all the time that they see glimpses of you in me.” She laughed half-heartedly. “And those... Those are big shoes to fill.”

She started slowly pacing her way around the base of her grandfather’s statue, taking in the various scenes depicted around it. “I’ve heard stories. All of these, yeah, but lots of others, too. Stories about you and the way you ruled Old Berk. The way you lead your -  _ our  _ \- people. Grammie tells me all the time about how you were a kind and gentle ruler before she was taken. Stern when you needed to be, but you held such respect from your people that you seldom needed to.”

She stopped in front of the depiction of Stoick diving to save Toothless from drowning, just before the Red Death was defeated. She kneeled on the ground, sitting back on her feet and reaching out to graze her fingers along the carved image of her grandfather. “Most of Dad’s stories are about you being a hardened-heart leader,” she continued, voice soft. “He says he never understood what you went through, how it must’ve felt, until he was older and stopped focusing on trying to impress you all the time.” She smiled a little. “Well, after he  _ did _ impress you in a way no one expected. Not even him.”

She stood back up for a moment, shifting her focus to the next image over - Stoick on the back of Skullcrusher. “He said those next five years were the happiest he’d ever remembered seeing you. He told me how he’d never forget the pride in your eyes every time you looked at him.” She gracefully fell to her knees again. “How he wishes he hadn’t pushed so hard. He blames himself for your... For what happened. He says he doesn’t, but I know it’s just because Grammie and Mom and I tell him not to.” She chuckled to herself. “He’s as stubborn as us all. Maybe worse.” A strong gust of wind blew through the clearing, lifting Zephyr’s braid from her back for a moment and gently pushing her to the side. She smiled and looked up, prefering to think it was her grandfather speaking to her from Valhalla. “Alright, far worse.”

Her gaze fell back to the image in front of her; she lifted her fingers to trace the lines in the stone again, following the outline of the dragon first and then that of her grandfather as she remembered what brought her here in the first place. “Dad likes to tell me all the stories of his mistakes. And your mistakes. He says those are most important. He says he wants me to know that it’s okay to make those mistakes, because that’s how you learn. I just...” She paused, her hand falling down to her lap. “I feel like it’s different for me. You were the idyllic image of the stereotypical Viking, so of course you demanded respect with ease; the biggest challenges you faced were your own, those in your head or the struggles close to your heart.

“And then there’s Dad, who... Well, who was a hot mess. The complete opposite of you in every way. Smaller and scrawnier and clumsier, with absolutely no regard for his own safety, desperate to prove himself to a village that never believed in him. But he won their respect by eliminating the threat of dragon raids and uniting dragons and humans as allies, as friends. That’s...” She smiled, eyes fixed on her hands laying in her lap. “I’m so proud to be his daughter. To hear of the things he’s done and the way the tribe respects him now. Like he’s finally proven himself enough that not a single person in this tribe would dare question his decisions.

“And then... And then there’s me...” Zephyr sighed, pulling herself to her feet and pacing in front of her grandfather. “The first born of the Chief, yes, but also his  _ daughter _ . A  _ girl _ . No woman has ever led a tribe on her own before. Even if the daughter inherited the chiefdom, it was ruled by her husband, not her. I checked. I researched. I tore through every single book, every record, every manuscript that Dad and Uncle Fishlegs have.  _ Never  _ has a chief’s daughter grown to take the throne, and yet Dad expects me to!”

She took a deep breath, rubbing her temples. “Okay, well, not  _ expects _ , necessarily. He wouldn’t think any less of me if I handed the throne down to Nuffink, but Nuff doesn’t want it. He’s too carefree and wild for it, he doesn’t want to be tied down like that. And that’s fine! I don’t envy him for that! I love this tribe and its people and I  _ want  _ to lead them and care for them. I just... I don’t know if I can...

“What if they don’t respect me? What if they never see me as a leader the way they saw you, the way they see Dad? I know what they say about me, Grandpappi, I hear them. They think I’m just some naive little girl who has never seen conflict in her life, and who would never have the proper knowledge to lead them into battle if need be, or ration properly through a famine, or protect them through a harsh winter, or... Or...” She sighed, hands falling to her side in defeat. “We live in a peaceful time. They’re right, I’ve been alive for fourteen years and I  _ haven’t  _ seen struggle or conflict. Which I’m happy about, for the tribe’s sake, but... How am I ever going to earn their respect? Because Dad ordered them to respect me? Mom threatened them to? My aunt and uncles scold them for speaking badly of me? That’s not- That’s not what I want! And now I have to go and address this entire village, who have absolutely no respect for me, and tell them that my father left me as acting chief while he goes to save half an island’s worth of people descended from those banished and casted out of our own tribe from a madman that only attacked them because he believed those Outcasts to be  _ us _ , and somehow convince them to follow the orders I’m giving to prepare for  _ full-out war _ that I have no experience with, because my people would rather have my pregnant, emotionally unstable, axe-wielding mother lead them through this!”

Zephyr collapsed on the ground, breathing ragged as she tried to pull herself together again. “But I can’t tell him that because he  _ does _ believe in me...” she continued, voice barely reaching above a pained whisper. “And how can I tell him no? How can I... How... How can I destroy that... That trust? How can I admit to him that I don’t believe in myself enough to do this? Not because he’ll be disappointed in me, oh gods no. He would tell me that it’s okay, he understands, he’s not upset with me, it’s a hard job and he would never force that on my shoulders. But- but that’s almost worse! I... I...” She sniffed as tears broke through, rolling down her cheek as she looked up into the face of Stoick the Vast, chuckling at herself. “I wish you were here, Grandpappi. Dad’s amazing, and he means well... But sometimes I feel like he’s too afraid that he’s putting me through what he went through, throwing me onto the throne when I’m too young and clueless and unprepared, that he’d just pull me back into his arms and handle everything himself to save me from it. I want to show him that I can do it, I just... I don’t know how.” She sniffed. “I wish you were here. So I could talk to you instead of burdening Dad with that. I feel like I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”

“Well, that’s a big ol’ pile of yak dung,” a voice said, startling her back to reality.

Zephyr jerked around to find Snotlout emerge from the trees, quickly turning away from him again to scrub the tears from her face. She sniffed hard again and managed to choke out, “Excuse you, I’m kind of having a private conversation here with my grandfather,” as she gestured to the statue looming over them both.

Snotlout looked up smiling as he approached and bowed. “My apologies, Chief, but I would like to request an immediate council with your granddaughter on an urgent matter.”

Zephyr sniffed again and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “What’s so urgent?”

When he didn’t say anything, she looked up to find his hand reaching out to her. She took it and let him lift her up to her feet. He let her wipe the dirt off of her leggings before pulling her into a gentle embrace, one arm securing her against him around her back and the other softly cradling her head to his chest. “Just came to see if you were alright, Zephie.”

She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her composure. “Thanks, Louttie.”

“You know you can always come to me, right?” He looked up to the face of his former chief. “I’m no Stoick, and I’m definitely no Hiccup. But I’ve got ears.”

Zephyr felt the tears prick at her eyes again. She wasn’t sure what to say. So instead she nodded into his chest, ignoring the pain in her face as the rough fabric of his tunic scrubbed against the raw skin of her cheeks. Gods, she had cried so much tonight.

Louttie sighed. “Though I do need to tell you that I don’t think the tribe is going to be patient enough to wait until the morning to figure out what’s going on.”

Zephyr’s chest squeezed. She grimaced and met Snotlout’s eyes. “Does that mean I have to address them now?”

“Don’t be silly!” he said, ruffling her hair. “I’m sure they’ll wait a minute or two before they start romping angrily through the town!”

She knew he was trying to make her laugh and lighten the mood, but she was too terrified to play along.

He sombered when she didn’t react. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll talk over what you’ll say before we go, alright? You can do this. Me and your mom will be right next to you the whole time.”

She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, begging the bile to stay in her stomach. She nodded shakily and tried to take a deep breath as she clutched the gem of her necklace still tied around her neck.

She could do this. For Dad.

For Eirson.


	17. Stepping Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! I know it has been a while and I sincerely apologize for that! The last semester kind of drained me mentally so writing took me a bit to get back to. But I'm so excited to share this next chapter with y'all! I will leave an announcement about a change in my update schedule at the end of the chapter, but since I made y'all wait long enough, enjoy! :)
> 
> ***TW: Discussion of traumatic events, aftermath of battle***

**_Zephyr - 1 day after the Siege of Outcast Island_ **

As Zephyr strolled back into the village center with her uncle at her side, she tried to wrap her head around what she was about to do. Not necessarily any part of it in particular; she would have been happy if she had been able to make  _ any _ part of it sound even remotely normal. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

She was distracted for a moment when Snotlout veered off the path to the Great Hall. But when she looked up at him curiously, all he said was, “Your mom has something for you back at home first.”

Zephyr didn’t bother to question more after that as her mind began racing again. She mindlessly followed him through the door of her home and obeyed his order as he gestured up the stairs. She found her mother fussing about in her parents’ room, and quietly cleared her throat. “Mom? Louttie said you needed me?”

Mom stood up and turned, sighing in relief. “Zeph, there you are. How are you doing?”

Zephyr shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

Astrid gave her a pitying smile and waved her over. As Zephyr crossed the room, her mother wrapped her arms around her yet again. “You can do this,” she said. “Dad and I believe in you with all of our hearts.”

Zephyr tried to nod her head, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So she just silently wrapped her arms around her mother instead. After a moment, she whispered, “I’m nervous.”

Mom chuckled. “I’d be worried if you weren’t. Your father was too the first time he addressed the tribe,” she said. She combed her fingers through her daughter’s hair and continued, “Just... Remember to acknowledge their concerns. Tell the truth. Sometimes, that’s all you can do. They may not like what they hear, but they’ll respect you more for it later on.”

Zephyr huffed. “Sure, but how do I get them to respect me  _ now?” _

Mom hummed as she thought. “Well, don’t let  _ them _ decide when they’re ready to listen.”

Zephyr’s brows pinched together. “How do I do that?”

Mom shrugged. “Don’t give them a choice. Be tougher than you feel like you are. Be meaner than you ever believed you could be.”

As Zephyr started to think over what that advice meant, her mom crossed the room back to a large wooden chest against the wall. “Your dad wanted to be the one to give this to you, but we decided before he left that we wanted you to have it now. And since he didn’t have a chance to do it himself...” After rummaging through the chest for a moment, she stood and held up what looked like a black fur blanket. She smiled softly and held it out. “He asked me to do the honors.”

She let the furs fall open, and Zephyr gasped.

It wasn’t a blanket. It was a fur cloak. And it nearly reached the floor, like her father’s did. It had two fasteners adorned with the same pendant her announcement gown had, which Zephyr assumed would fit nicely into her usual armor.  _ Just like her father’s did. _

Her chieftain’s furs.

Zephyr’s jaw fell open as she reached for something to say, but she couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful black furs.

Mom smiled and held them out. “Well, go on. Are you going to stand there and gawk or are you going to try them on?”

Zephyr couldn’t help but smile as she stepped forward and grazed her hand through the fur. It had been carefully cleaned to an incredible softness, obviously yet to be worn or used for anything else. Awaiting the day to be gifted to its owner.

An owner who wasn’t quite sure if she deserved it yet.

Her mother turned her towards the reflecting glass as she threw the furs over her shoulders. Neither of them spoke as Mom carefully secured the fasteners in place and stepped back.

And yet when Zephyr looked into the glass, she didn’t see a chieftain. She saw a frightened girl playing dress-up in her father’s clothes. Just like she felt when she put on her formal gown before her announcement.

“Dad didn’t think it felt right the first time he put his on either,” Mom said quietly from behind her. “And that’s okay. You’ll grow into it just like your father did.”

Zephyr seemed to make up her mind about her earlier musings. “I don’t deserve this.”

“You do,” her mother replied confidently. “You just don’t see it yet. But you will.”

Zephyr nodded absentmindedly, but not exactly to agree with her mother’s words. She reached up to free the fastener from her armor when her mother stopped her. “Wear it tonight. To keep a piece of Dad with you and to reinforce your role with the tribe. That’s why we wanted you to have it now.”

Zephyr nodded again as the words sank in. “It’s time to go then, isn’t it?” she asked hesitantly.

Mom smiled understandingly and nodded. “I think so, Little Warrior.”

Zephyr felt a lump in her throat at Dad’s nickname for her. Mom guided her out the bedroom door and down the stairs, where Snotlout was waiting. He smiled at them. “Lookin’ good, Zephie!”

Zephyr smiled weakly. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment.

Like wondering how her tribe would take the news.

Especially with the news coming from her.

Wondering how she was going to demand their respect and attention.

How she would look to them, a fourteen-year-old girl with their lives quite literally in her hands.

Wondering what in Thor’s name she had gotten herself into.

Wondering if Eirson was alright...

Deciding this was happening far too fast for her-

And then they were shrouded in the darkness of the back tunnel entrance to the Great Hall and it felt like only a moment later they were standing in the Council room walking around the table they had all gathered at only hours before and stepping up to the door to the Main Hall and Zephyr realized-

She took her place in front of the door.

Zephyr realized the time for wondering was over.

No turning back now.

Zephyr took a deep breath and shook out her shoulders as she straightened up. She felt her mother step up to her right side, as she always did with her husband, and Snotlout step around her left side and up to the door. He placed his hand on the wood and turned back. “Ready?” he asked Zephyr.

Zephyr shakily chuckled. “As I’ll ever be.”

He smiled reassuringly to her. “We’ll be right beside you the whole time,” he said. “And we believe in you.”

As if to confirm she agreed, Mom placed her hand over Zephyr’s right shoulder and squeezed gently. Zephyr laid her right hand over her mother’s and nodded. “Let’s go,” she said as confidently as she could muster.

Snotlout smiled. “Aye, Chief.”

Zephyr felt a shiver race down her spine. Mom squeezed her shoulder again.

Snotlout took a deep breath himself and pushed the door open. Zephyr and Mom paused for a moment to let him take the lead inside. The bickering of the tribe swelled and avalanched through the doorway as Snotlout stepped in and bellowed, “Quiet for your acting Chief!”

Everyone quieted for a moment as Zephyr and Mom stepped through the door, and Zephyr knew they were focused on General Haddock. But then speculation began rolling over the crowd as people started pointing out Zephyr was wearing new furs that seemed similarly designed to her father’s. They all watched closely as Astrid Haddock and her daughter stepped up to the council table...

And then went silent as Astrid Haddock sat directly to the right of the Chieftain’s chair.

And then erupted when her daughter took her place directly in front of it.

Zephyr could feel herself shaking uncontrollably in her boots. She looked back to Mom, who did her best to encourage her with a smile that said,  _ It’s okay. You can do this. _

Zephyr nodded back, swallowed, and took a deep breath. Looking out over the crowd of angry Vikings, completely ignoring her as she stood before them, she willed herself not to back down. She could do this, she could do this...

She closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. Yes, she could do this. She had the backing and faith of the entire council; the people she grew to know as her aunts and uncles from the moment she was born, a bond stronger than any born of blood alone. Her grandmother believed in her. Her mother believed in her. Uncle Snotlout believed in her so much he had fought to give her this chance.

And her father believed in her enough to leave the village to her in a time of distress. She could still hear the words he had said to her as if he were here now, speaking them to her.

_ Zephyr, I am so proud of you. I have always been so incredibly proud of you. And that will never change. And gods forbid if something does happen to me out there, I know this tribe will survive under your lead. I have every faith in you. _

_ You’re a good leader, you can handle this. Don’t let them convince you otherwise. _

She could handle this. She was a Chieftess-to-be. And she had a people to protect.

She took a deep breath again, trying to take advantage of the fleeting confidence from her internal pep-talk while she had it. But by the time she tried to speak, all that came out was a breathless, “Okay...”

No one paid her any mind, continuing to argue about why the Chief had left without notice and left his teenage daughter in charge.

She cleared her throat. “Alright, everyone, let’s just...”

Not a single head turned.

Zephyr huffed and tried again, a little louder, her growing agitation seeping into her tone.  _ “Excuse me.” _

A few heads turned directly below her, but no one stopped talking.

Zephyr growled. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the movement of Snotlout stepping up directly beside her, hands balled into fists as he sucked in a deep breath. But Zephyr raised her arm, stopping him with a touch of the back of her hand to his chest. He paused and let the air out of his lungs in a huff of confusion, but stepped back.

She puffed out her chest and lifted her chin, letting her hand drop in a fist back to her side as the anger and frustration and exhaustion from the last day into the night really began to set in. Fine then. If they wouldn’t give her their respect on her own, then she’d demand it.

In one swift motion, she stomped her feet on her father’s - would that make it hers for the moment? Nevermind, that wasn’t important right now - chair, followed by the long table in front of her as her hand reached back to grab the handle of her axe. She found the stance her mother taught her with ease, raising the axe above her head and thrusting it forward with a loud, confident battlecry of exertion.

The shout caused heads to turn, as was her plan. But the whistling of the weapon through the air followed by the  _ thwack  _ of the axehead burying itself deep into a wooden support across the room caused all conversation to die out instantly. Suddenly, an entire room of heads turned to her, still standing on the table breathing heavily in anger.

_ “LISTEN UP!” _ she cried, face set in determination. She let her eyes rake over the room. “For a pack of angry Vikings determined to get answers, you’ve got quite an ignorant way of finding them!” she spit.

Stunned silence.

No one moved, no one  _ breathed _ , as she hopped down off the table, landing gracefully on her feet with a loud  _ smack _ as her boots contacted the ground. Every face in the hall slowly turned as the eyes of her village followed her stalking steps across the Great Hall, the crowd shuffling out of her way and creating a path between her and her axe.

As much as she wanted to say that she was able to hold onto that energy and confidently stride through the crowd, the sea of faces staring at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws made the strong emotion sizzle out quickly. She did her best to keep her posture strong and her face set, hands folding around the axe handle. She gave it a tug...

Her eyes widened and the blood drained from her face.  _ It didn’t budge. _

_ Oh Thor, oh Thor, oh Thor, please no, not now... _

She planted her feet and tugged again, feeling it wiggle ever so slightly but still not release from the wood. Shit shit shit shit shit-

In her panic, she yanked again with every bit of force in her body, and the axehead instantly released from the wood. The force sent the weapon and her arms over her shoulder, pulling the rest of her body with her.

She prayed to the gods that she was able to bring her facial expressions back under control by the time her body had fully turned, exposing herself to the crowded hall. She cleared her throat and settled her axe onto her shoulder, sauntering up to the council table again with a confidence she absolutely did not have.

Walking around the table to take her place again in the middle, she caught Snotlout trying his best to hold back laughter - be it at the pitiful attempt to retrieve her axe, the fact that she just  _ chucked her axe across the entire length of the Great Hall _ , or at the the outburst that fell between, she wasn’t sure. Passing her mother, she heard a soft, “That’s my girl,” uttered under her breath.

Well, at least they weren’t angry with her, uh, “leadership style”...

_ Alright, Zephyr, pull it together... _

She tried to stand tall and command the room like she always saw her father do, but that just left her feeling ridiculous. So instead, she slammed her axe down flat on the table in front of her (ignoring the pain that quickly bloomed in her fingers as she realized she didn’t move them in time) and took a deep breath.

And held it.

For Thor’s sake, she hadn’t even thought about what she was supposed to say!

The deep breath she had taken practically fell out of her mouth as she realized the faces surrounding her were growing less shocked and more... Disbelieving.

_ Remember to acknowledge their concerns. Tell the truth. Sometimes, that’s all you can do. They may not like what they hear, but they’ll respect you more for it later on. _

Her lips pursed for a moment as she thought through her first words. And then she began to speak.

“I understand everyone is confused and concerned. My father did leave with a small force of men in quite a rush, and regrettably did not have time to address you all before setting sail. Earlier this evening, I received a letter-” Her voice cracked in pain as she so clearly saw the hurried, desperate script of a frightened heir that had been seared into her mind. She paused to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts again, the words she needed to say next caught in her throat.

She started again and carefully pushed on. “Earlier this evening, I received a letter of distress from the son of Alvin the Treacherous of Outcast Island. The Outcasts were ambushed late in the night. They were unprepared and mostly unaware of the intruders until after they had infiltrated the island. Though we are not sure exactly how many were lost, we’ve guessed that they lost well over half of their numbers, including...” She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “Including Alvin the Treacherous himself.”

A frantic murmur swept through the crowd, and Zephyr let it as she stole a moment to compose herself. Once she felt sure enough that she could continue, she spoke again, and everyone quieted. “Eirson, son of Alvin and heir to his chiefdom, gathered those that he could on a ship and managed to sneak off of the island, planning to find refuge on Old Berk. My father and his crew are on their way there now with food and medical supplies to offer aid, and bring what remains of the Outcast tribe back here to New Berk.”

Most of the crowd remained quiet, but some made noises of disapproval. One man yelled out, “But we already have the Wingmaiden tribe here!”

“I understand that,” Zephyr argued as more people made their agreement with the man clear. “But the Council as a whole unanimously decided to offer aid and sanctuary to whoever is left of the Outcast tribe. However, due to how much smaller their numbers are now, accommodating them shouldn’t be an issue. Take that as you will.”

“That’s ridiculous! The Berserkers should be sending aid, not us!”

The voices of agreement were growing louder and more numerous.

Think, Zephyr, think...

_ If they accuse you of being wrong when you know you aren’t, stand up for yourself. Don’t ever take no for an answer unless it’s the answer you’re looking for. _

“Arguing the point is not an option,” Zephyr insisted. “The ships have left. The Berserkers did not receive the distress signal, only we did. Council determined the Outcasts could not wait for us to send a letter to the Berserkers explaining the situation, and then wait longer for the Berserkers to send aid. Either way, a crew must leave Berk, be it to deliver the message or to help the Outcasts. Helping the Outcasts ourselves was the faster and most efficient option.”

“And if the Outcasts were followed by whoever attacked them?!”

“My father already has a plan to handle that.”  _ Oh gods, please tell me Dad already has a plan to handle that. _

“Who attacked them?” someone else yelled.

Zephyr was struggling to stay in control, quickly feeling more overwhelmed than she ever had before. So she flipped through her mind to remember something, anything, any bit of advice her parents had given her.

And all she could think of was her father’s words:  _ Stay strong, but don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t know something or if you were wrong. _

Oh boy. “We’re not sure,” Zephyr admitted slowly. “Though... We have reason to believe it was the same people that attacked the Wingmaiden tribe.”

That news didn’t exactly go over well.

And just as Zephyr was about to continue, someone else shouted out, “Wait, we haven’t had any ships sail in. How did they send a distress letter?”

She turned to the direction the voice had come from, and she met the accusing eyes of Spitelout Jorgenson.

It wasn’t until then that Zephyr realized she hadn’t even explained how she got the letter to Council. They were in such a rush to get aid out to the Outcasts that it hadn’t come up.

Which could look extremely suspicious to the rest of the tribe.

“Yeah, that’s right,” someone else agreed. “And how do we know the Berserkers didn’t get one too?!”

More and more shouts began calling out questioning the origins of the letter, and Zephyr’s stomach dropped to her feet.

“Quiet!” she called out, but the nausea that was overtaking her made her voice weaker than she intended. “Quiet down, let me explain!”

Some turned their attention to her, but others continued. Zephyr could feel the bile creeping up her throat, the vise beginning to tighten in her chest, the shaking in her hands and feet crawling up her limbs until her entire body shook with an overwhelming fear-

“Hey! Your Chief ordered you to QUIET DOWN!” Snotlout cried out beside her, making her jump.

Everyone started to comply, but it still took some time. Eventually, Spitelout sneered, “Well? Care to explain,  _ Chieftess?” _

Zephyr ignored him, more out of nerves than deliberate decision. “The letter wasn’t received by boat, it was received by bird.”

That wasn’t received well either.

“Eirson has a trained gyrfalcon that he has worked with since she was young! He was inspired by the Terrible Terror mail system my father created years ago. Eirson rescued her, so she has a very strong bond with him. He trained her to carry letters to Berserker Island, and then he trained her to carry them here when the Outcasts visited for the announcement celebration.”

They weren’t reassured.

“How do you know it was the same bird?!” a voice from the crowd rose above the rest.

“Birds can be intercepted too easily!”

“How do we know this is a legitimate letter? She could’ve just made it all up!”

That last one brought the bile to the top of her throat. But then she heard the screech of wood on rock to her right.

Zephyr turned in surprised just as her mother’s chair slammed into the back wall so hard it bounced back before settling down on all four legs with a  _ slam. _

Everyone went silent with fear as Mom’s eyes burned with rage, setting the whole Hall on fire. “Who said that?!”

No one answered, but Zephyr could’ve sworn she saw one Viking in particular awkwardly lower himself onto a bench.

“You  _ dare _ accuse my daughter of fabricating all of this?!” Mom screamed.

Zephyr swallowed. “Mom,” she whispered, “sit down, please,”

“Absolutely not!” Mom slammed her fist on the table. “I will not tolerate unsupported treasonous accusations against the Chief!  _ Either _ of them!”

Zephyr slowly put her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, please,” she repeated, stronger this time. “I got this.”

Mom turned to Zephyr, and she saw the fury fizzle out just enough that Mom obliged. She sat down with a huff, fingers tapping the armrest of her chair, itching to reach for her axe.

“Now,” Zephyr said, turning back to the tribe. “I helped with Aurboda’s training - sorry, Aurboda is the bird’s name - I helped with her training when Eirson brought her to the announcement ceremony. Eirson has a very specific harness he uses to secure the letters on her that also tells her where to take them. We also know that the Berserkers didn’t get a letter because Aurboda came here. Council saw the letter and analyzed it themselves. We know it’s from Eirson. Decisions were already made, these points are not up for debate.” She relaxed her body, suddenly realizing she had leaned over the table on balled fists at some point during her explanation. “It’s been a long night,” she continued. “A lot has happened, and there’s a lot still that needs to be done. For now, we all just need to go back to our homes and rest. Expect additional orders in the next few days to prepare for the Outcasts’ arrival. Feel free to take all the time you need to get started in the morning, but I expect everyone to be started on their duties by the afternoon.” She stopped talking, finished with what she had planned to say. But then everyone stared at her like they expected more. But... She didn’t have more to say!

“Dismissed,” Snotlout muttered under his breath in her direction.

“Dismissed,” she stammered a little louder than she had planned as she attempted to cover up her uncertainty. It probably made it more obvious.

As everyone began to filter out of the Hall, Zephyr managed to stiffly follow her mother back to the Council room, Snotlout following closely behind.

And then she started to hyperventilate.

Snotlout quickly closed the door and caught her from behind before she fell. Mom rushed in front of her and squeezed her shoulders. “Hey, Zephyr, hey, it’s okay,” she said. “You did it! You did amazing sweetheart! Dad would be so proud of you!”

“You really were pretty awesome in there, Zephie,” Snotlout added.

Zephyr shook her head and tried to bring her breathing under control. “That... That was terrible,” she gasped.

“No!” Mom argued, “it wasn’t! No one started a revolt, they all calmly left. No one is questioning you anymore. Honestly, some of your father’s addresses have gone much worse.”

Zephyr was still gasping as Snotlout lowered her into a nearby chair. “Really?”

“She’s got a point,” Snotlout agreed.

Zephyr nodded a little and leaned forward, suddenly dizzy. And then she dropped her head in her hands. “Oh gods... I threw an axe at them!”

Snotlout laughed. “Yeah, that was the best part!”

Zephyr heard a loud  _ smack _ that she assumed was her mother hitting his arm.

* * *

**_Hiccup - 4 days after the Siege of Outcast Island_ **

Of all the sea voyages Hiccup had taken away from the village since he had to take over for his father, no trip worried him more than this one.

Astrid was home, pregnant with their fifth child at an age that most women feared pregnancy.

He was sailing into gods knew what to save an ally tribe with the quickest-assembled crew and provisions he had ever ordered.

Said ally was currently being led by a broken boy of seventeen who had just watched his father being murdered before his eyes.

Knowing that, Hiccup was having an overwhelming amount of flashbacks to the day his own father died before his eyes, which made concentrating... Difficult...

And worst of all, he had left his baby girl back home in charge of a pack of wolves that were ready to eat her alive. And no matter how capable he believed her to be, the guilt was eating  _ him _ alive.

But what else was he supposed to do?

He had to keep reminding himself of that as they approached the harbor statues.  _ What else were you supposed to do? _ It didn’t necessarily make him feel any better, but it forced him to focus on the task at hand.

The minute he could clearly see the harbor statues, he turned quickly on his heels and began barking orders, possibly sounding a little harsher than he intended. When the crews heard what had happened to the Outcasts, they seemed just as anxious to complete the trip as Hiccup felt. After sailing through the first night and into the day, they tried to stop and rest at a common camping spot for them. But they all quickly realized that sleep was not coming easily to any of them, and the two crews collectively decided to continue sailing through the night once again despite the added danger of the darkness.

But what else could they do?

They managed to stop and rest for one night. With a typical crew and one ship, the trip to Old Berk would take three or four days. With a barebones crew for two ships such as the one they were running now, that travel time could easily double for needed breaks.

They approached the harbor statues early on day four. Understandably, they were all exhausted, Hiccup included.

But what else could they do?

“Be extra vigilant steering into the harbor, watch for any unusual ships!” Hiccup yelled. He faintly heard Eret yelling what he assumed were similar orders on the other ship. “Apprentices, come with me, we need all medical supplies on deck immediately. I know we’re tight on manpower, but any available crew needs to help us as well. Food can wait until the most critical are patched up. Be  _ gentle _ where you can! We don’t know what these people have seen or who is left.”

The crew was eerily silent as they followed the orders they were given. No one spoke as supplies were moved and prepared and the harbor statues slipped silently by.

But as soon as the Outcasts came into view, Hiccup was glad they had worked so hard to get here quickly.

They looked terrible. The majority of those gathered around the docks were elderly and children. Some young women seemed interspersed between them, luckily in good enough shape to tend to the injured and sick. A few young men also moved between them, probably sailing apprentices by the way they focused on the ship. Still, it seems no one in the tribe had the energy, motivation, or ability to move very far from the docks. Many of them still lay on the ship’s deck, which made Hiccup uneasy. They must have had to send the young women and apprentices to the Great Hall to carry down what supplies they could. Which also meant they were disturbingly exposed.

Hiccup looked across the water and found Eret appeared to have similar concerns when he made eye contact. Hiccup signaled to Eret to slow down and let his ship enter the dock further ahead of them in the hopes to keep from overwhelming the Outcasts. As Eret nodded and turned to enact the orders he was given, Hiccup made his way to the bow of the ship to make their intentions clear in case the able-bodied Outcasts mobilized to protect the sick and injured.

They did begin to mobilize, but it seemed the young men that Hiccup had assumed were sailing apprentices were the only ones that moved to protect. That concerned him as it was, but it wasn’t until he got his first look at Eirson that his blood truly ran cold.

To say the boy looked terrible was a laughable understatement. He was pale and ghostly, floating around as if his body was working but his soul had left it behind. He was an empty shell of the shy, curious boy he had seen in the last few months. Even from out in the harbor, Hiccup could see the deep, dark bags under his eyes; he must not have slept since the raid, and if he did it was not a peaceful rest by far. Not that Hiccup could blame him. He remembered those nights after Stoick died...

Hiccup shivered, suddenly terrified to learn of the nature of the raid, and Alvin’s death especially.

The moment Eirson recognized Hiccup, he finally saw a glimmer of emotion, but it was so desperate and broken that he almost wished he hadn’t. Eirson called off the boys and began struggling to ask them what to do.

Gods, he was so young... Hiccup had been in his twenties when his father died. Not much better, but Eirson was only 17, and Hiccup had experience leading the Dragon Riders on Dragon’s Edge for a few years. Eirson was barely of age, and he knew Alvin hadn’t even begun to prepare him to take the throne. And to have to take it like this...

Maybe it was just the protective father coming out in Hiccup, but suddenly any exhaustion he felt left his body. “Get that gangplank down and start unloading those supplies,” he ordered the crew. They obliged without a word. Eret’s ship anchored down at an adjacent dock as Hiccup grabbed a few boxes himself to carry off the ship.

Eirson ran up to Hiccup as he deposited the boxes on the dock. “Chief Haddock, I have to admit I’m really relieved to see you.”

Hiccup straightened and grasped Eirson’s shoulder. “Eirson, please, call me Hiccup. You and I are equals now more than ever.” He squeezed his shoulder and added, “It’s going to be alright.” 

Eirson managed to nod once in response.

Hiccup turned to Eret and Tuffnut as they approached from the adjacent dock. “Let’s get these supplies out and get them taken care of. Well rest for a bit, but I’d rather not stay long. We’re much more exposed here than we will be in New Berk.” Turning back to Eirson, he explained further, “We brought what we could of healing supplies and provisions, and Tuffnut has some of his apprentices with him to help. My hope is to get everyone patched up enough to make one more sail. We’ll take our ships and leave yours here, if that’s okay. That way if anyone manages to follow your tribe out here, it’ll be harder for them to follow us to New Berk. Well provide sanctuary for your tribe there. It’s up to you.”

Eirson seemed to barely register what was being said to him. He nodded numbly and turned towards the young men watching them cautiously. “Uh... Osmond, you guys help them unload. Show them who needs the most help and stuff.”

The boy Hiccup assumed was Osmond nodded and waved to the other young men to follow him.

Hiccup turned to Eret and Tuffnut. “Fishlegs is below deck. Use your best judgement to get these people taken care of as quickly as possible. I’m going to discuss what the damage is with Eirson.”

“Aye, Chief,” Eret replied. Tuffnut was already scanning over the Outcast tribe, but he nodded absentmindedly in response.

Hiccup squeezed Eirson’s shoulder. “Let’s talk in private.”

Eirson nodded vacantly in return with downcast eyes. Hiccup gently led him onto the ship and below the deck, repeating his orders to Fishlegs as he passed by. Fishlegs began to speak, but stopped himself as his eyes fell on the shell of the boy between them. He simply nodded instead, and nonchalantly redirected the other Vikings to the supplies on the opposite side of the boat.

Hiccup pushed the door of his quarters open and silently waved Eirson inside. Eirson nodded slowly and complied, taking a deep breath as Hiccup followed and shut the door behind them.

“Okay, so... For the most part, I think we’re hanging in there. I mean plenty of people got sick on the sail over, and we didn’t have much on the ship to get us here, but once we  _ did  _ get here-”

“Eirson, slow down,” Hiccup gently interrupted. “We’ll get to that.”

Eirson looked confused. “But I thought-”

“I know, I know, and all the stuff you’re telling me is very important,” he reassured. “But we’ll get there.” He gestured to a chair sitting in front of his desk. “Are you okay?”

Eirson’s eyes flicked to the chair and back to Hiccup. “I’m fine,” he quickly said.

Hiccup chuckled darkly. “Well, I admire your resolve.” He leaned against his desk, looking at the floor. “It’s an important thing to have as a leader.” He lifted his eyes and studied Eirson carefully. His whole body was tense, his face tired, his eyes unfocused. He was struggling to keep his composure, and must have been for a while now. “But you have to let yourself be human at some point, son.”

Eirson flinched.

“Sorry,” Hiccup apologized quietly with an understanding smile. He took a deep breath. “You’ve done an incredible job so far.”

“I had other people help me fill a boat and sail to another island,” he said humorlessly, clearly unimpressed with himself.

“Sure, but did you lose anyone between here and there?”

Eirson thought for a moment before quietly recalling, “No.”

Hiccup nodded. “No one appears to be trying to riot against you, either. Those young men seem to follow your command without question. After what you and your tribe must have gone through, that’s all I need to know to say you’ve done a great job.”

Eirson didn’t have anything to say.

Hiccup kept his voice low and soft. “You’ve done remarkably, despite the fact that you’ve suffered tremendously. Three of my most trusted men are ready to care for your people. Take advantage of that and let yourself rest. You’ve earned it.”

Eirson hesitated at first but then lifted his eyes, at which point Hiccup gestured to the chair again with his head. Eirson wavered for a moment, steeled himself, but eventually gave in and sank into the chair. Satisfied, Hiccup silently pulled up an extra chair from the side of the room, not wanting to make Eirson feel cut off from him by taking his seat in the captain’s chair. He sat next to the boy instead, letting him relish in the silence.

But the boy couldn’t seem to relax. The longer the silence stretched, the more uncomfortable he looked, which was the opposite effect Hiccup was trying to elicit.

“Want to talk about what happened back there?”

Hiccup spoke the words as softly as he could, but Eirson still jumped. He shook his head. “Uh... No, no, I don’t think so. I... I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

Hiccup nodded. “That’s fair. It took me a long time to be able to really talk about... Well, you know.”

Eirson nodded.

Hiccup pursed his lips and thought for a moment. “But... You have to talk about it at some point,” he added. “It doesn’t have to be now, it doesn’t have to be the minute we get to New Berk. But you’ll never be able to heal from it until you do.”

Eirson bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes. “I... I don’t think I’ll ever be able to heal from it,” he quietly choked.

“You will,” Hiccup assured him. “It doesn’t feel like it now, but you will eventually.”

He shook his head. “But... You didn’t see what happened to-” A sob cut off Eirson’s words, and he tried to compose himself. For a moment, Hiccup thought he managed to. But suddenly he stood up, seemingly lost as he reached out for nothing, clenching his hands in the air and then his clothes and then his hair. He gripped the back of the chair he had been sitting in and rocked back and forth a few times. He slammed his fist on the chair back and spun around, running his hands through his hair again, loosening the strands from the leather tie. He spun back around, eyes pouring tears now. “It’s not fair!” he yelled helplessly. “It’s not... It’s... It’s...” He reached into the air again for the words, but only grew more frustrated when he couldn’t grasp them. He cried out and kicked the legs of the chair, knocking it over. He slammed his fists on the desk and cried out more, over and over and over again.

Hiccup stood and carefully approached the broken boy before him. He wasn’t angry with him as he tore through the captain’s quarters, yelling and punching and kicking and screaming, “It’s not fair! Why did he have to do it?! Why him?!” Over and over and over again. Because he knew. He remembered that feeling. That irrational anger that overwhelmed him as he saw his father’s lifeless body lying still and cold before him.

But at least he had Astrid and his mother there to hold him, support him. And that was the only thing that helped him hold onto whatever bit of sanity he had.

Eirson had no one.

And so all Hiccup could bring himself to do was calculate his approach so Eirson wouldn’t unknowingly punch or kick him. He carefully grabbed Eirson’s wrists, and the boy fought back with a strength that could have knocked Hiccup to the ground if it was properly channeled. Eirson struggled, but eventually Hiccup was able to wrestle the boy to his chest and lock his arms around him. Eirson weakly fought back, but by now his chest was heaving with sobs rather than angered cries.

“I know,” Hiccup whispered. “I know, son, it’s alright.”

And Eirson crumbled. His knees buckled to the point that Hiccup had to hold him up as he sobbed into his shoulder. And Hiccup let him. Because he didn’t get to mourn his father like Hiccup did. He didn’t get to give his father a proper funeral like Hiccup did. He didn’t have anyone there to tell him he was doing the right thing like Hiccup did. He wasn’t able to save his tribe like Hiccup did.

And while Hiccup wanted to do so much more for this poor boy in his arms, this was the best he had.

“I know,” Hiccup repeated helplessly.

* * *

**_Argo - 4 days after the Siege of Outcast Island_ **

Argo let his eyes scan over the tribe before him. Chief Boyra’s orders had been sudden and a little unsettling, but Argo had decided he would not question them. And apparently, neither would his tribe. And so he was now left taking in the aftermath of the attack.

The tribe around him was struggling with the events of the days prior, understandably. What Boyra had asked of his people, and what his people had done to comply with his requests, had been frankly disturbing. They had left the targeted island in shambles, scattered with bodies that had not been granted the honor of a proper grave, in the midst of a village that had been burned to the ground and looted for anything useful. And the tribe around him showed how shocked they were by it now that the smoke had settled.

A young woman stepped up to him, offering bandages and plants he assumed were meant to have healing effects. He politely declined; as the direct advisor to Chief Boyra, he was kept from the bulk of the fighting, and ended up mostly unharmed. She nodded with a smile and continued onto the next injured soul.

Argo wasn’t exactly excited to interact with anyone else right now anyway. He had made a major mistake, attempting to get information in the Markets about the whereabouts of New Berk and confusing them with Outcast Island. A mistake that, after seeing the way Boyra had treated his own tribe, he was certain would end with his death.

Until he was presented with an opportunity to save himself.

Well,  _ hopefully _ save himself. His new mission could easily still end in his death.

But at least it gave him a chance, stretched out his final days if it didn’t save him.

But the guilt inside him was eating him alive.

“Halvor?”

He looked around for whoever the young Chief was looking for, but he didn’t see anyone else close by.

“Um, Halvor?”

Oh shit.  _ Argo _ is Halvor, right. He looked up into the young Chief’s face. “Yeah?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you. Would you mind helping Osmond and the guys get everyone boarded on the New Berk ships?”

He nodded and stood.

He just had to keep his identity hidden until he figured out what he needed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, now that I've smacked you with THAT... My updated schedule! I am beginning my final semester of university, and because of the requirements of my major, it's going to be jam-packed with clinical hours, class hours, and I will still have to fit in as many work hours as I can to cover my living expenses. So while I am going to try my absolute best to squeeze in some writing as well, unfortunately I just can't promise a regular update schedule. However, since I graduate in April, that means I should have no interruptions come this summer! There will be a bit of a transition period as I get settled into my first job, but I'm hoping things will calm down WAY more than what they are now and what they will be this spring. I will absolutely keep you guys posted as best as I can. You can find updates on my tumblr page (see bio for link), and I always keep in touch via my Discord server (link in bio and at end of story).  
> So with that, see you (hopefully) soon!

**Author's Note:**

> New chapters will be posted as I can finish them for the beginning of 2021 as I am in my final semester of university. However, since I am graduating at the end of April and will be taking my licensure exam sometime between late May and early July, I anticipate I will be able to return to my every-other-week update schedule sometime early summer!  
> Join my Wingless and Warbound Discord server for updates and discussion! :) Invite link: https://discord.gg/zzuZXxg


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